SENSHI PRIME!
by KingofMercury
Summary: Ch.22 is now up.
1. Default Chapter

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

1) If you haven't at least read Mercury Twilight, I recommend you do, otherwise the references in this story will utterly confuse you.

2) This story takes place almost six years after Sailor Stars ended. Every member of the Senshi is in their early to late twenties, except for Hotaru, who is 17 and in her last year of High School.

3) Princess Kakyuu is not really the Princess of Kinmoku. She and the Starlights are adopted by Kinmoku because their world was devastated by Chaos. Sailor Galaxia is the head of Kinmoku's actual government and holds the position of 'Archsenshi'. Kakyuu is adored by the Senshi for her gentle nature and warmth. The Starlights are regarded as heroes of the Sailor Wars.

4) Sailor Mars (Rei Hino); Sailor Starfighter; and Alan are dead as a result of events in 'Mercury Twilight'. Amy Mizuno has quit as Sailor Mercury, but has instead found a much greater power and has taken the name 'Sailor Celestia'. Katsie and Birdie Ayakashi, formerly of the Black Moon Family, have taken up the positions of Mars and Mercury respectively.

5) Jedite of the Dark Moon has been revived and reformed and has taken the name Jed Tokiba. He is currently a Police Officer in the Tokyo PD.

6) Hotaru died in Mercury Twilight, but was revived at the end of 'Executioner's Law'. Sailor Pluto broke mucho Time Guardian rules to pull this miracle off and as a result she has been 'fired' as Guardian of Time. She is now simply Sailor Pluto and a more permanent member of the Senshi. She still fights with the Garnet Rod, but it has no power anymore.

7) Email any other questions to or refer to 'Mercury Twilight'; 'Executioner's Law'; and 'Celestia Rising' for more details on obscure references. All other references are derived from the original Sailor Moon series.

8) For those of you who've read the original version of Senshi Prime, you'll notice that this story has been almost completely revamped from its original form. In fact, much to my own surprise it's undergone more changes than even the revised Mercury Twilight did. This edition contains extended and added scenes, more detail, and a partially revised plot. Additionally some names and events have been altered and in some cases entirely replaced. As of this moment the original version of Senshi Prime is officially null and void.

9) And of course, this Author holds no copyrights to Sailor Moon or any original characters therein. The Nova Senshi and other characters introduced during the course of this four story arc, however, are MINE! Don't touch them without my permission or I will hunt you down! (actually that last part is just a joke, but please show some courtesy if you want to borrow one of my characters and ask first?)

PROLOGUE ONE: THE AMBASSADOR

Kinmoku, Planet of the Sailor Senshi, 2600 hours local time.

The Sun was low on the Horizon. Night was just coming around from the east of Alpha Senshi.

Just as the lights of the city were starting to come on one by one, Sailor Rainbow Prism left her Suite Home and headed for the Central Spire, the building at the exact center of the city that dominated the skyline. She was a short Senshi; almost impossibly small for one her age. Her stunted form made her look nearly like a child, yet she was very much adult and, as with most Senshi, far older than she appeared. Her costume was a study in Primary Colors. In fact each different facet of her uniform, as well as her shimmering hair which changed color like a hologram in the evening light, represented one of the seven colors of the Universal Rainbow. Hence her name.

She was answering a Summons from Sailor Galaxia, Archsenshi of Kinmoku, and the most powerful woman on the Planet next to the ruling Princess Kakyuu. When she called, one answered, for Galaxia was one not known for her patience.

Of course Prism would have come anyhow. She was part of the government, and herself was an old friend of Galaxia's. Their history together went back quite a ways.

That was why Prism didn't stand on ceremony when she knocked on Galaxia's Palace-level floor near the very top of the building. She entered and shut the door behind her, noting that the room was very dark and dim this evening.

"It's me Tara," Prism said in a high-pitched, almost child-like voice. "Where are you?"

"In here, Violet," a more mature voice answered from the other room. A dim light could be seen flickering from within.

Prism was one of only a very select few who knew the true name of Sailor Galaxia. It was an honor Galaxia bestowed only on those she trusted most of all, telling them her name. Everyone else in the Universe knew her only as 'Galaxia,' or more formally, 'Sailor Galaxia' or 'Senshi Prime.'

The Archsenshi, who outside her quarters displayed a presence and power that inspired awe, looked like an ordinary girl as she sat before her computer. She wore only a silver silken nightgown, and her red and gold hair was completely undone and unbound, falling to the floor around the foot of her chair. One of the straps of her gown drooped negligently off her shoulder. She sat with her bare feet up off the floor, folded beneath her.

It was a side of her few knew about, and fewer still could even imagine. Outside this home she was the 'Golden Senshi', whose legend was probably the most towering and familiar tale in the entire Galaxy. At one time she was even thought to be a Goddess! Galaxia was glad those days were over. Secretly she wanted her privacy just like any other person.

"And here I am, all dressed up and everything, and you just sit there in your silks," Prism sniffed. "You should have told me this was informal, I would have at least skimped on the make-up."

Galaxia smiled at the humor. "I want you to look at this. It's something I've been eyeing for quite some time now. Something I sincerely regret I didn't notice sooner."

Prism grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the monitor to take a look. She had to jump up to sit in the seat and her legs dangled off the ground.

On the screen of the monitor was a chart showing a steadily sharper and sharper incline from the lower left hand side to the upper right. The incline was filled in pink. The rest of the screen was black, save for the numbers at the side and bottom of the chart. The lowest number on the vertical plane before zero was 200. The horizontal plane was numbered fourteen through twenty. The incline went from 200 all the way up to 10,000.

"What am I looking at?" Prism inquired.

Galaxia sat back and folded her hands together thoughtfully. "What you are looking at, my dear Violet, is the power level of Sailor Moon. The figures on the left hand side represent Astronomical Energy Units, the measure by which we determine Senshi power levels. The numbers on the bottom represent years."

"Fairly straight forward," Prism agreed. "Is this chart accurate?"

Galaxia shrugged. "It's actually an estimate, but I believe it's pretty well accurate. When she first started out, Sailor Moon had very limited power and much more limited ability." She pointed at the lower left and slowly made her way up as she continued. "She was fourteen years old at the time. But each time a different foe arose to challenge her over the years, She adapted by growing. As you can see with each passing year her powers grew by leaps and bounds… Not slowly as most Senshi do over their lives."

"Yes, so it would seem," said Prism. "At thirteen she was at 200... Fourteen she was 500... Fifteen: 1200... A year after that… 6,000!"

"Her energy goes up in relation to the magnitude of the crises she faces," Galaxia explained. "If my estimates are correct, her energy leveled off slightly after she fought me. When she reached Eternal Level it was around 10,000. That continued until last year. I haven't even taken into account the leap forward she must have achieved fighting Dark Mercury. If she took one at all. The point is… Even if it didn't increase her power level…"

"She's still at a level unprecedented before you came along," Prism finished.

"She might even be superior to me," Galaxia added.

Prism raised her eyebrows. "You really think she's progressed that far?" she whispered.

Galaxia smiled. "I have every reason to believe so. Look at her progression. She's come farther in a shorter amount of time than even I did. And I was trained by professional Senshi. She's learned just about everything on her own."

"Well she comes from good stock," said Prism. "She's a direct descendant of Serenity."

"Yes… The irony hasn't escaped me, either," Galaxia cracked a small smile. "The Great-Granddaughter of my once greatest adversary might be the one thing we've been seeking for thousands and thousands of years!"

"Senshi Prime…" Prism's voice was at the edge of awe. "Do you really think so…? I mean… It almost doesn't seem possible…"

"Given her recent history I would say she has already fulfilled most of the ancient prophesy," Galaxia swiveled her chair to face Prism. "But I could just be jumping at shadows. I want you to help me find out if I'm right… By bringing Sailor Moon to me."

"Bringing her to Kinmoku?" asked Prism. "Just in time for the 'Eon Celebration'?"

"Precisely. It is there we will find out what we need to know. I have already made the necessary plans. I wish for you to come with me to gather Sailor Moon and her friends. There is a little… test I would like them to undergo before we proceed. Are you game?"

Prism giggled. "Game is such a funny way of putting it. I'm looking forward to it already."

"One other thing," Galaxia turned and hit a button on her computer. The face of a girl with blue hair and a Mercury Symbol on her forehead sprang up. "I want you to personally handle bringing this one to me as well."

Prism studied the picture. "Oh my, isn't she the pretty one?"

"She is the descendent of Chastity. And my agents have told me she has recently stumbled on a brand new power, different, yet startlingly similar to her Mercury powers. I wish to see her at the Eon Celebration as well."

"Your agents… You mean the 'Trinity'?" Prism inquired.

"Yes. I have them make quarterly reports in return for my granting them permission to live on Earth. They provide me with valuable information. Earth is, after all, a very intriguing place with some of the most interesting Senshi I have ever seen," said Galaxia.

"And we all know you just can't keep your hands off of something intriguing," Prism laughed again. "Well then if there's nothing else I suppose I should get ready for my little trip. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow, Violet. Pass the word on to the Nova Senshi and have my personal Starship readied for takeoff in 32 hours." Galaxia smiled.

Sailor Rainbow Prism saluted her and left Galaxia's room quietly.

PROLOGUE TWO: THE SEDUCTION OF ANDROMEDA!

In a far off Galaxy, in the orbit of a Planet circling twin Suns, there was a drifting Star Cruiser, looking grievously injured from some mysterious battle. It tumbled on its axis slowly as it passed the Planet by.

Of course its presence there did not go unnoticed. Out of the atmosphere of the lonely Planet flew a figure clad in brown and green. Her outfit, though alien in design, bore the distinct markings of a Senshi. A clear plastic mask over her mouth and nose shielded her lungs from the vacuum of space, yet the rest of her body was clearly unaffected by the radiation and frozen coldness of the void.

She approached the Star Cruiser and assessed the situation. It was, fortunately, not on collision course with her world. What was less certain was how many people were on board and if they were all still alive or not. It was an alien design. One she had never seen before in this sector of outer space.

"First things first," she said to herself. "Stabilize the ship."

She applied her power to her muscles and grabbed what she guessed was the bow of the vessel. She forced her weight against the rotation and watched as the ship stopped tumbling and leveled itself out. It was now just a drifter. She then searched for a hatch, or some way of getting inside. She found an opening torn into the hull by whatever had crippled the craft. Just inside was nothing more than a storeroom, and a quick scan of the rest of the ship told her that the vacuum was localized. Most of the interior still had a working life support system. The atmosphere read Nitrogen: 45, Hydrogen: 32, Oxygen: 11, Helium: 11, and Carbon Dioxide: 1.

It was not a hospitable atmosphere, at least for her physiology. She decided her space mask would have to remain on. She found a hatch into the main interior, but she made sure to generate a force field that would keep the vacuum of space from following her into the rest of the ship. If there were any survivors, they wouldn't appreciate the lack of air too much. So far, however, her surface scans were coming up a little fuzzy. There was something farther in, but the life signs were indeterminate. It was definitely something she'd never encountered in her long life.

She made it into a main passage, and floated down the broad corridor. There was no gravity, so she couldn't walk.

As she went, she called out in as many languages as she could think of: "Hello! Is anyone alive in here! This is Sailor Andromeda! I am the guardian of the world you have come in contact with! You are most fortunate indeed to have drifted by this System! This is the only occupied Planet with a guardian Senshi for over 500 light years in any direction! If there is anyone alive, please answer me!"

She didn't expect any survivors to understand what she was saying, but she kept talking so hopefully they would hear her and reveal their location. All her equipment was shorting out for some reason. Probably some field of energy given off by the ship. She just had to search the old fashioned way.

Her heightened senses told her there was movement up ahead. She propelled herself a little faster and let her senses guide her to the Bridge area. She called in, but there was no reply. She pressed a button to open the hatch, but it was dead. That wasn't really a surprise, but it was inconvenient nonetheless. She diverted more power to her muscles, and dug her fingers into the crack between the hatch and wall. She strained, and tore the metal hatch off of its track and threw it aside. The bridge was empty. No sign of the movement she detected. Oddly enough, there were no bodies to speak of. Maybe they'd all jettisoned in escape pods long ago. Maybe there was really nothing in this ship.

She was just about to leave to complete her search, when she turned and saw the mangled alien Astronaut lurching in the entrance. He fell into her arms, coughing and sputtering in agony. Sailor Andromeda slowly let him descend to the floor and began to examine his body.

"It's going to be alright," she told him. "Don't try to speak, just catch your breath."

Please... h-help..." the alien struggled to say.

Andromeda looked at him sharply. How in stars did he know her language? "You speak Klaxian?" she asked in surprise. "I guess that's good. Can you tell me are there any other survivors besides you?"

The alien's grimace faded into a sinister smile. "Absolutely no one!" he shouted as he reached a hand up and gripped her wrist.

"What're you-AAACK!" Andromeda screamed as a jolting current of energy ran through her body and effectively paralyzed her.

The alien's form shifted into something else entirely. It wasn't even his true form. Andromeda stared in horror at the new figure now standing over her. "What... what do you want from me?" she stammered.

"Your powers and your services," he laughed. "You no longer defend your Planet. You work for Cold Star now…" An evil iridescent glow filled his eyes as they locked on hers. Andromeda felt her mind become sluggish.

"Cold... Star?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Now who is your master?"

Andromeda's conscience and resistance faded. "I-I s-serve… Cold... Star," she replied hollowly. "Cold Star is… my……. nnnnnnNO!" She suddenly snapped awake, as if from a nightmare and she could move again. She raised her leg and booted him in the belly. The man doubled over, allowing her to get up and backhand him into the rear bulkhead, his impact denting the hard metal wall.

"You freak!" she said to him. "Was it you? Did you kill everyone on board this ship!" Secretly she wondered what hypnotic power had almost claimed her. It felt like a searing knife was piercing her brain. Suddenly, as she advanced on her ambusher, she felt a new presence. An awesome presence behind her! Andromeda turned even as the bridge filled with a blacklight glow.

"By the Gods of Klaxis!" she gasped out. Filling the front canopy of the lost ship's bridge was a new Sun. Not just any Sun either. Its light was not white or yellow or red. It was tinged with darkness, looking almost like an eclipse. A black circle with an iridescent corona around it like a mane of fire. And in the center of that circle… a great eye stared unblinkingly at her. The eye was filled with malevolence.

"Hello, Andromeda," it said both inside and outside of her head. "It has been far too long since we last met."

Andromeda wasn't a Senshi prone to fear. The depths of her vast power enabled her to be brave in the face of almost anything. Yet as she recognized the Black Sun in the sky in front of her, her courage waned. "Cold Star! Now I remember the name." she whispered.

"You mean to say you forgot?" the voice replied more softly. "Well… It has been 50,000 years after all. You look well for your age. Tell me… Where's the red-headed brat who was hanging around you when you humiliated me all those years ago? Is she dead?"

"Galaxia?" Andromeda thought back to that fateful day. "Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you."

All of Space seemed to fill with Cold Star's menacing chuckle. "Perhaps not as you are now, my dear. But I've learned a lot of things in the past fifty millenniums. Here is but a taste of what I've learned." With that a black-gloved hand reached around from behind and cupped Andromeda's chin gently. Andromeda spun, expecting the alien to be attacking her again, but this time she had to look up into the purple eyes of a tall man with perfect features, white hair, and black leather clothing. His aura was the same as the Star outside. "What do you think, my sweet?" he said softly.

"So you can assume Hominid form," Andromeda said, trying to calm her pounding heart. "Are you trying to impress me?"

"No, in point of fact I need your help," Cold Star said, advancing slowly and backing her into the bulkhead. For some reason Andromeda was having trouble focusing on moving, much less using her power to smash him to bits. "I need you to help me gather an army that will inundate the entire Senshi Race in one fell swoop."

"What… are you doing inside my head?" Andromeda put her hands over her ears and tried to shake herself out of the dreamlike state that was settling over her. "Stop it…"

"I have developed many ways to persuade others to do my bidding," said Cold Star, ignoring her demands. "Apparently my manservant Gamma was not enough to sully your great mind. But that is no less than what I expected from you. As much as I hate you, I admire your skills even more, Sailor Andromeda."

"Shut… up," Andromeda gasped, feeling her heart pound. Cold Star leaned forward and pinned her to the bulkhead with one arm. The other hand cupped her chin again and tilted her face up toward his. Andromeda's breathing became shallow and her eyes glazed over as her mind finally gave up resistance.

Cold Star smiled icily as he leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. Andromeda's heart skipped a beat, and in that moment her soul passed out of her mouth and into his. Her eyes, one green, one brown, became glazed. Cold Star broke the kiss and left Andromeda wanting more. "And now my love. You will tell me… Where I can find Sailor Galaxia," he commanded her.

"Yes, Master," Andromeda breathed. "Only if you promise to kiss me again if I tell you…"

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: CHAPTER ONE: CELESTIA'S TEST


	2. Celestia's Test

CHAPTER ONE: CELESTIA'S TEST

"Amy? Are you almost packed?" Robert Prower knocked his knuckles on the frame of Amy's open dorm room in Germany.

"Just a few more items, Rob," Amy said from her bedroom. "How much time do we have."

"Don't worry. Take your time," Rob told her as he stepped inside the room. "Our flight doesn't leave until noon. We have four hours. I was only asking in case you needed help."

"You mean to say that you're all together for this trip?" Amy asked.

"Of course," he shrugged. "I pack light, and most of it went in last night."

"And here I was thinking you would be the one needing my help," said Amy, throwing some socks into her green suitcase.

"Heh," Rob leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets. "You know before you came along I actually did pretty well by myself. Stop worrying so much about me."

Amy chuckled and shook her head. "Yet you're such a klutz around me."

"Yes well… Beauty like yours has a tendency to do that to me…" said Rob.

Amy paused and a sharp blush hit her cheeks. She glared at him and advanced to within inches of his face. "Well that still doesn't answer why you're such a klutz around _me_," she said.

"Because _you're_ the beautiful one, believe it or not," Rob leaned down to kiss her, only to have Amy sidestep his action. Rob was thrown off balance by her move and he fell onto all fours on the floor.

"And I still say you're crazy," Amy said, walking back to her suitcase to close it.

"You're mean, you know that?" Rob stood up sheepishly. "You never used to lead me on like that."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Amy said, tossing her now long blue hair over her shoulder.

"Oh yes you do," Rob shot back. "Ever since you became Sailor Celestia and kicked Queen Lucia's butt. Ever since you got angry and let out all of your pent up frustration you're not the same shy and withdrawn girl you once were. Everyone sees it."

Amy paused and her smile faded. "Am I more… like her?" she asked quietly.

"In the sense that you're evil? No," said Robert seriously. "But you do emote better. You get angry. You get happier than you used to. You tease me. You speak your mind a lot more. That's a good thing, Amy. You can't go crazy and go on a killing spree if you don't build up your feelings inside." He stopped himself. "That last part was probably uncalled for. Sorry. Didn't mean to dig up that part."

"It's funny.Dark Mercurywas nothing _but_ emotion," Amy thought back. "She was my opposite in every way."

"I think it's safe to say you've made peace with the Dark Mercury inside you," said Robert sagely. "I don't think she'll ever be a problem ever again. Deep down you know that too. That's why you're going back, isn't it?"

Yes. They were going back to Tokyo after a year away. Amy had come here to Munich to escape her feelings and her future. Recent events had taught her that all she'd been doing was running from the truth. That night she fought Queen Lucia had been like a dam bursting. That night was the first and only time in her life she knew rage and even though it frightened her to her core, she could never forget how, when the dust settled and the battle was over, she felt a hundred times better than she'd ever felt in her life. She had, apparently, taken out all her frustration on her enemy and it opened her mind to the truth. Dark Mercury existed because she denied herself her feelings all those years. Sometimes one simply had to let it all go, punch a wall or two now and then, cry one's eyes out until they stung, laugh until one's sides hurt, to keep from going over the edge down the road. Now that she finally knew the remedy… She could go home to her friends and not worry about a cloud hanging overhead.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Robert.

"And a nickel to keep you from prying," Amy said, holding out her suitcase to him. "Carry that out to the car, will you?"

"Me?" Rob pointed at his chest. "Do I have a sign around my neck that reads: 'Amy's Slave'?" he asked jokingly.

"Take it, or you don't get the window seat on the plane," Amy scolded him.

"Man you're cruel," Robert laughed and took the suitcase.

Amy smirked just as Diana and Alora walked into the room. "Amy. Come quick," Diana waved at her. "There's someone outside to see you."

"To see me? You guys all ready to go?" asked Amy.

"Oui. But you may not be going to Tokyo as you first thought," said Diana.

"What do you mean?" Amy grew concerned.

"Come on, don't ye fuss," Alora said in her slight Scottish drawl. "It's nothin' tae worry aboot. Actually we were kinda expectin' her any day now. She really wants tae meet ya."

sssss

Robert dragged the suitcase with them as he followed Amy and the others outside to a bench situated in the center of the Munich University Garden. The stone bench was located underneath a marble pavilion. Two people were gathered around it. One, a small young looking girl was sitting down. The other one, whom Rob recognized as his Sister, Sailor Solara, currently in her Human guise as Andrea Prower, stood with one foot propped on the bench, the other on the ground. The two of them were having some kind of conversation when they approached.

"Took long enough," Andrea said to them.

"No more than ten minutes, love," Alora quipped. "Anyway we got the guest o' honor with us."

"Alora," said Andrea.

"Aye, Andrea?"

"Stop it with that awful Scottish brogue. How many times have I told you I can't stand that accent?"

Alora sighed and grinned from ear to ear. "Alright, alright. I'll go back to Japanese since all of us are more or less familiar with that tongue." Her accent changed on the spot with very little flaw. Amy was still amazed at how smoothly the Wind Senshi switched languages in a heartbeat.

"My dearest Andrea. Don't be rude just because you're good friends," said the little girl in an astonishingly womanly voice. "It's her native language. How long has it been since she's been able to speak it?" The girl jumped up in the chair and bowed floridly to Amy and Robert. "Princess Ami of Mercury. It is an honor to meet you. You are every bit as lovely as your reputation suggests."

Amy's face flushed as she bowed in return a bit stiffly. "Oh… Pleased to meet you, er… Who are you?"

Robert looked the girl up and down. He had to blink to make sure he was seeing things correctly. She was short like a child, but now that he saw her standing up he was certain she was built like a grown woman. She was simply more compact, about four and a half feet tall at the most. Her eyes were two different colors, one blue, one green. Her hair was a mystery. It seemed to be one color one minute, until she moved her head slightly and it shifted into another hue. Rob began to wonder if the mushrooms he ate last night were cooked well enough.

"My name, for the time being, is Violet LaRouge," said the girl.

Andrea snorted a laugh and covered her mouth. "Good one," she muttered.

Rob blinked in confusion. Her name was Violet the Red?

"I thought you'd like that one, you nit," Violet replied smoothly with a bit of a smirk. "Obviously a contrived name. Who I really am is something to be revealed in a much less public place."

Amy nodded in understanding. "Your hair… You're a Senshi aren't you?" she said in a softer voice.

"It's tough to get any more obvious than that," Violet replied. "Yes, I am. I am from Kinmoku. I have come here to see you myself and to personally extend to you a most important invitation. But first… Might I have the honor of fighting you?"

"Fighting? Come again?" Robert started.

Diana put a restraining hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Rob narrowed his eyes at her. What did Diana and the others know about this?

"You want to fight me?" Amy looked almost as shocked as Rob felt.

"It's nothing personal, but part of my mission is to test your skills," Violet shrugged. "I promise you no one will get hurt."

"Now just a cotton picking minute!" Robert interrupted.

"At ease bro," Andrea told him. "There's nothing to worry about."

"You know about this?" Rob's question reflected the confusion in Amy's eyes as she looked at the other three.

"Of course they do," Violet smiled sweetly at Amy. "They helped to set this up. Galaxia wishes to see you in action with her own eyes. If you succeed I am required to extend to you the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Galaxia? What does she want with Amy!" Rob was getting loud.

"I don't want to fight you, Violet," Amy said.

"Perhaps not, but you don't really have a choice this time, your highness," Violet said, her smile fading slightly. "I'm afraid I am under orders that I cannot deviate from."

"Just listen to her, Amy," Diana leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "If you go along with her it will be so much easier."

"Diana, what's going on?" Amy whispered back.

"I told you. A test," Violet replied. "Can you not trust the word of your friends?"

"Don't do it, Amy!" Rob insisted.

"This is her choice, not yours," Violet turned her attention to him crossly.

"Didn't you just get done saying she has no choice!" Robert bit back.

"Oh, but she does," Violet turned once again to Amy. "One way or another, Princess Ami. You can either refuse to transform and be defeated straight away… Or you can unleash your potential and fight me Senshi to Senshi and show Galaxia what you're made of. But we will fight either way. I much prefer it be on equal terms. With honor."

"Don't let her tell you what to do, Amy!" Robert shouted before Andrea clamped a hand over his mouth roughly.

"You're taking this far too seriously. Keep it down!" she hissed. "Have faith in Amy."

Amy felt nervous being so openly challenged. The fact that Diana, Alora and Andrea seemed to be in on this made her feel confused and slightly betrayed. Violet, as if sensing her tension, beamed again at her. "I told you… No one will get hurt here. If you cannot trust me, trust your friends. Have they not helped you time and time again?"

"Do it, Amy. Show her what she came to find out," Alora added. "Show her what you can do."

"Come," Violet held out a tiny hand for her to take as she got up off the bench. The smile on her face and the look in her mismatched eyes was hard to resist. There seemed to be nothing but genuine respect and honesty in her smile. "Let's go somewhere we won't be disturbed and we won't cause a lot of damage."

Amy hesitated. She looked once at Robert, who had stopped struggling against his Sister and looked at her with obvious concern. Conversely, Andrea's face was writ with her trademark cool grin. She nodded once to Amy. Feeling slightly better about this surprise challenge, Amy reached out tentatively and gripped Violet's small hand.

"I am honored by your trust in me, your highness," Violet said, turning her hand, bringing it to her lips and kissing it lightly. Amy gasped at the feeling that passed through them at that very moment. She felt like she'd moved suddenly and when she looked up she saw the two of them were now in a rocky gorge somewhere in a range of mountains. The two of them were alone.

"I teleported the two of us deep into the local Alps region. Your friends will go on ahead," Violet said to her, releasing her hand. "You have nothing to fear so long as you trust their judgment. This is all for you, Sailor Celestia, daughter of Mercury. And before we begin my real name is Sailor Rainbow Prism."

"It's… a pleasure," Amy replied a bit uncertainly.

Violet turned and walked away about twenty paces and raised a colorful looking stick overhead. With her back still turned, she cried:

"RAINBOW PRISM POWER!"

Her high pitched voice echoed off the rocks around them as her body became awash in rainbow hues. Her clothes disintegrated, to be replaced by ribbons of rainbows that entwined around her body, feet, and hands. They solidified into her fuku, which consisted of a white tube top, blue skirt with a red hem, yellow chest bow, green rear bow, and orange gloves and boots. Her lips became painted with bright red lipstick and a rainbow symbol appeared on her chest, just above her collar and below her orange choker. It was looking in that general area that Amy saw just how grown up Prism truly was. She wasn't a child, just shorter than most. With her face transformed, the age shown through. Her blue and green eyes showed wisdom, but never lost that sense of honesty and caring.

As Amy finished watching her opponent transform, she realized that this person… This Senshi… Had something very special about her. Something that made Amy want to go along with this. Was she actually starting to feel excited about fighting her?

"Your turn," Prism said in a much more adult voice.

Amy held out her right hand, already clutching her Henshin Stick, out in front of her and closed her eyes.

"Celestial Eternal Power!" she chanted.

She could feel her power rise to new heights as her uniform solidified around her body and infused her with the energy of Celestia. Lastly, the Staff of Celestine formed in the air before her and she grabbed it, twirling it overhead like a baton before jamming its end into the ground beside her.

Sailor Rainbow Prism grinned. "Beautiful," she said. "Rainbow Storm!"

Prism put her palms together and blasted a multi-colored beam of light about three feet in diameter directly at Celestia. Amy held up her staff and spun it swiftly like a propeller to deflect the shot, only to see the light break up into seven different beams that arced around overhead and surrounded her. The energy had split and threatened to strike her from seven different directions!

Amy closed her eyes and concentrated. "Bubble Shield Surround!"

Her liquid force field rose from the ground and wrapped her in a spherical liquid shell. The seven lights, each a different color of the rainbow, struck the shield and dissipated harmlessly into white sparkles.

"Nice shot, Sailor Rainbow Prism," Amy said, lowering her shield after the attack. "But your powers, it appears, are light based. Every educated person knows that water refracts and diffuses light."

"I admire that you use your intellect in battle," Prism replied with an unwavering smile. "But I've been doing this since before you were born. You must have more tricks than that."

That was an open invitation if Amy ever heard one. Unable to suppress her own smile, she raised her weapon. "Try this one out, then!" she shouted. "Bubble Spray!" It was an old Sailor Mercury trick. The bubbles flew from her hands and created a thick fog all around the two fighters. Only Amy could see through the mist and home in on her foe. "Got you," she said, going for the quick strike.

She struck straight for Prism's body, but was shocked to discover her staff go right through the image, causing it to swirl with the fog like a cloud.

"What!" Amy skidded to a halt. "How?"

"You were correct about water and light," Prism's voice seemed to come from all around her. "Water refracts light and makes it harmless, however, water can also be turned against you using the same principle. Refracting images, creating a mirage. Look around you."

Amy looked and saw many Sailor Rainbow Prisms standing on all sides of her, giggling.

"Fine. But you won't have that advantage for long," Amy waved her staff and caused the mist to tatter away to nothingness. She watched as all but one of the images of Prism vanished along with it. Prism's real body was glowing with a prismatic aura.

Amy went for an opening, but was shocked when that opening suddenly closed up with amazing speed. Prism leapt skyward, bounced off one vertical rocky face overhead, rebounded off the opposite cliff, and rocketed toward her with frightening speed! Amy was not expecting such dramatic agility from such a small person. Prism was almost like a ping pong the way she ricocheted off the walls and yet slammed into her body like a wrecking ball! Amy was on her back almost before she could register that she'd been drawn into a trap.

Lifting her head, feeling a pain in her ribs from the blow, Amy looked at Prism, who stood before her now in a Martial Arts pose. One leg lifted off the ground and bent at the knee in front of her chest. Her left fist pointed at a 45 degree angle to the ground and her right arched over her head, tightened into a fist. All her weight was concentrated on her right leg. At first she wondered how Prism could stand like that and not lose balance, until it occurred to her… Because of her short stature she had a much lower and far more stable center of gravity. That's what contributed to her amazing quickness as well.

"Surprised yet?" Prism grinned at her tightly.

"That hurt," Amy stood up shakily. "I thought you said no one would get hurt."

"And no one has. None but the two of us, Princess," Prism replied. "But how do you plan to defeat me if you don't wish to hurt me?"

A very good question. One which made Amy feel a little foolish when she thought it through. "Alright. You're obviously a better fighter than me. So how about I come at you with all my strength?" Amy held her staff up overhead. "Celestial Waterspout! Blast!"

A giant cone of water seemed to fall from the sky and tore its way along the narrow gorge toward Prism. The Rainbow Senshi put her leg down and braced for impact. She took the blow head on and the water exploded all of its energy on her at once! Prism's small body was flung to the ground and smashed into the rocks!

Amy winced and ceased her attack. "Oh, no! I think I overdid that one!" she cried. She had to remember her powers were still a work in progress, even though her staff made it far easier to control them. Sometimes she still underestimated her own power. _I hope I didn't hurt her too badly._

Prism stood up slowly, shaking stones out of her hair. "Excellent," she said, still smiling, if not a bit painfully. "But if you had total control over that waterspout you could have defeated me outright. Power alone is not enough, you must have something else." She stood up fully and began to glow. "Amy Mizuno! You must not hesitate!"

The little Senshi moved so quickly that Amy could only mount a feeble defense against her next strike. Prism aimed a kick at Celestia's face which Amy blocked with a forearm. She gasped as her arm lost all feeling and began to tingle as if she'd been laying upon it all night. The foot had struck a pressure point.

"Good show, Celestia!" Prism said, rebounding once more off a nearby boulder, twisting in midair like a gymnast, then landing on Celestia's shoulders with her thighs on each side of Amy's neck. "But you're wide open. You still have much to learn."

Prism twisted her lower body, causing Amy's head and neck to go with the rotation. Suddenly Sailor Celestia was on her back, staring in shock upward at Prism, who still straddled her neck with her legs. She felt the small, but surprisingly powerful thighs begin to clamp down, causing her vision to twinkle with tiny lights. She was losing consciousness!

"I can't recall any time recently where I had more fun fighting one like you, your highness," said Prism. "But youth and inexperience are your worst enemies. When you wake up, you will have the opportunity to learn more about yourself than you could have possibly dreamed…" Prism's voice faded even as Amy's vision dimmed to darkness and she passed out from the submission clamp…

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT... CHAPTER TWO: MERCURY AND VENUS


	3. Mercury and Venus

CHAPTER TWO: MERCURY AND VENUS

High up above Tokyo, suspended in low Earth orbit, cloaked to hide itself from Human military satellites, drifted a titanic Starship. If it could be seen with the naked eye, it would have been a ship of significant dimensions. It was ovoid, with smoothed over bumps on the surface of it. The lateral bump extended out much farther than the other bumps and held all the important decks and machinery. This was where the bridge was located as well. On the port side of the bow was an intricate symbol involving a planet icon with a ring mark overlaid on the front, and a star that was attached to that ring. Overall its design looked vaguely like a giant Zeppelin.

No one on Earth who could have seen that mark, or this ship, could have guessed as to where it was from or what the intent of its crew was. Were the ship visible to the people of Earth, Galaxia pondered, they would likely erupt in panic borne from a lack of understanding. Thus the secrecy was necessary. Besides, they were on a mission that needed to be carried out without a hitch.

"Sailor Galaxia," the ship's Captain said. "We have settled into low Earth orbit, well within range of the surface to conduct debarkations safely. We await your next order."

"Thank you, Sailor Jade Fire," Galaxia acknowledged. She turned to her trusted seconds, the Nova Senshi. "You know what to do, Novae," she said. "Move as quietly and as secretly as you can. We don't know whether taking the Sailor Scouts will create an uproar or not on the surface. Don't, I repeat, DON'T do anything that will draw attention to yourselves. Understood?"

The Nova Senshi nodded. "Understood, Senshi Prime," Sailor Nova Proxima affirmed, using the title as a gesture of respect. "We will not fail you."

"Go then," Galaxia turned away and a world map came up on the screen showing the seven continents.

"Like we discussed, Senshi," Nova Proxima commanded. "The five of us go to Tokyo and pick up the designated targets. Don't let their companions or their teammates get together as a single unit. Sailor Rainbow Prism has just secured the target in Germany and is en-route. Make no attempt at communications with one another until your own targets are secure."

"Roger!" the other four Novae said at once. The hull beneath their feet melted away and the five Nova Senshi dropped downward toward the surface of the Earth.

At almost the same time a shimmering light of many different colors washed over the bridge of the 'Colossus'. Galaxia turned once more to face the source of the light as it faded and revealed Sailor Rainbow Prism with Sailor Celestia slumped over her shoulder unconsciously.

"Good show, Prism," Galaxia said. "I hope that attack of hers didn't harm you too deeply."

"I've got a few lumps, but otherwise I'm fine. Still, her powers are impressive as you suggested, Galaxia. With a little more experience she could be a force to be reckoned with in this Universe."

"Take her to her quarters then. You may stay with her when she wakes up if you wish. I'm sure she'll need some explanation as to why she's been abducted. Call me if you need help."

Prism bowed. "Thank you, Senshi Prime. I'll take my leave now."

Sssss

"This is WSKA Radio, 93.9 FM, the 'Cherry Blossom'; playing today's hottest hits and yesterday's favorites right here, live. It's a beautiful day in downtown Tokyo. The sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky, and our Meteorologists tell me that today's high will be a gorgeous 85 degrees! This is a perfect day for all of you to hit the beach or go out in a boat on Tokyo Bay. To all you students out there… Summer break is only a week away. Don't forget to call in with your plans to spend your two weeks of freedom. The student who calls in with the most outrageous Summer adventure will win one hundred thousand Yen toward that vacation, courtesy of our staff! And now, our 'Song of the Week', "Funny, how I long for you!" By Asuka Saotoru."

The soft, silky voice of Saotoru wafted into the car of Birdie Ayakashi as she waited in traffic at a stoplight deep in the heart of downtown Tokyo. The buildings all around her towered overhead and cast a shadow on the street she was on. For once a few of those skyscrapers looked free of scaffolding and construction equipment. Some of the large Supercranes had come down as well.

Looks like they just finished with the Sunsoft Building, Birdie thought as she swayed slightly to the music on her radio and peered upward out her side window. That's the most recent fix around here. Slowly but surely this city's coming back together. It's amazing what a difference a year makes.

Yes, what a difference. Birdie passed through the light as it turned green and took a right down Yoshida Avenue toward her destination. As she did she passed by a billboard sitting atop a squat looking brick building about three stories high. The billboard had the picture of a blonde cutie, winking and blowing a kiss at passersby. Next to the giant face stood a skinny orange bottle with a white spray cap. The flowery Kanji writted on the left side of the billboard read: "V-Fragrance. The essence of independence. From the labs of Fournier International Cosmetics."

Of course Birdie's eyes were more fixated on the blonde model in the billboard. It was the face of one of her best friends. Mina Aino had found herself a rather illustrious niche in the Modeling industry about six months ago and her fame had exploded. She was in five magazines already and had recently become the showcase model for Fournier International. 'V-Fragrance' was to be her signature fragrance. Of course, no one but her closest friends knew what the 'V' stood for.

Birdie sighed. She would have loved to be a Model herself, but had gotten turned down enough to know when to call it quits. Mina was a much prettier girl apparently and had what a lot of young men these days wanted. There was just something about the color blonde…

Of course not everything was peaches and cream for Mina. Hence the reason Birdie was now on her way to Shijima Studios, where Mina did most of her photo shoots in the city of Tokyo. She'd gotten a call just an hour ago from Mina. She sounded upset and wanted to know if Birdie could swing by and pick her up. Apparently a few others were too busy with their own things. Katsie was working at the Shrine. Lita was at Culinary School. Amara and Michelle were unreachable. Birdie was free, so she came.

Birdie had a hard time finding a parking spot near the studio. When she finally got one she opened up her Cell Phone and dialed for Mina's number. The phone was picked up after one ring.

"Hello?" said a familiar voice. There appeared to be raised voices behind her but were too far out of earshot to make sense of the words.

"Mina. It's Birdie," she replied. "I'm right outside. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a little pissed off," Mina said with a huffy voice. "I'll explain to you in the car. Wait just a minute…" Mina then yelled at someone in the room with her. "Listen, you freak! No means NO! GOT IT!" the phone went dead after that. Birdie closed the cell and put it down. Another argument with her Manager it seemed. She wondered what the big deal was this time?

It didn't take her long to find out. Mina tromped out the front door of the studio and looked around. Her hair was tied in a long ponytail in back. She was wearing a red pleated skirt that hung to her knees, matching red pumps, a pink blouse and a tiny white overcoat that barely reached the bottom of her ribcage. Her face still had makeup on it and she drew stares from a few amorous men on the street.

Birdie honked her horn and waved out the window at her. Mina spotted her vehicle and began stomping toward it. Her face was twisted in anger.

Suddenly a skinny man with sunglasses and a gray blazer ran outside and fell on his knees next to her. "Darling! Sweetheart! Angel! Don't do this to me! Have I not gotten you everything you wanted these past six months!" he pleaded with her. It was obviously Kyle, her Manager. He didn't look so bad himself, but he was pathetic the way he openly begged for Mina.

"I won't do it! I told you when I started, no HENTAI!" Mina screeched at him before brushing him off and sliding into Birdie's car on the passenger side.

Kyle ran up to the open window. "But this is huge money, Mina! And you and I both know this could launch you into the virtual stratosphere of marketing your image!"

"Yeah, and turning me into something I'm not!" Mina barked back. "I'm not going to become some Porn-queen for millions of lifeless perverts to drool over! I want my fans to love me for a different reason! I want them to love my face, not my body! Until you find another job for me, this is goodbye!" Mina pressed the button on her door and the automatic window began sliding up.

"But Mina darling!" Kyle protested, sticking his face past the threshold. "I'm only thinking of yoURK!" his face was squished in the window from the sliding glass. His lips were pinched into a pucker and slurred painfully to her.

"Get your face out of the window, moron," Mina said, sliding the window back down with a huff. "Don't talk to me until much later. You'll be lucky if I don't take my services elsewhere!" The window clamped shut all the way this time with no incident.

"Where to?" asked Birdie, slightly amazed at this conversation.

"Just drive. I don't care where," Mina said impatiently as Kyle knocked futilely on her window. "Anyplace I don't have to look at this stupid face."

Birdie pulled out of her parallel park and sped down the street about a block or two in silence. Then she popped the question. "So what happened back there?"

Mina was looking at herself in the passenger mirror with scrutiny. "Kyle came up to me after my latest fashion shoot with a new job. Apparently 'Doujin-girl Monthly' called his office, asking if I could pose for their cover model job."

"But that's great isn't it?" Birdie asked. "That would have been your first cover appearance since you started, right?"

"Bird… 'Doujin-girl' is a Hentai Mag for middle-aged men," Mina said, still looking in the mirror and making faces.

Birdie gasped and nearly swerved out of her lane. "That's horrible!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah. And Kyle just wouldn't get it when I told him no," Mina griped. "I didn't become a Model to fulfill old men's fantasies. I became a Model to share myself with the wealthy young men of this world, to show my gorgeous face to everyone and display my elegant side. There's nothing elegant about porn…. Oh, darn. I think I'm getting a wrinkle," she muttered that last part to herself.

Birdie smiled awkwardly and sweat-dropped at Mina's explanation. There was certainly nothing wrong with this girl's ego, that was for sure. Still, she sympathized with Mina, shuddering at the notion of her nude form being shown to every man in the nation of Japan and possibly beyond. "Do you feel like food then? Let's go eat somewhere," she offered.

Mina snapped the visor upward and leaned back in her seat. Her blue eyes turned on Birdie in determination. "Yeah, sure. Take me to the 'Rikishu Soda Fountain'. I need a triple fudge milkshake with all the trimmings this time!"

Birdie nearly fell out of her seat at the mention of that notoriously high-calorie shake. That sounded like something Serena would order, she thought. But Mina didn't look to be in the mood for arguing about anything anymore, so she decided to take her there. She could get a Cherry-flavored soda and a light salad while she was there at any rate…

Sssss

As promised, Mina indulged herself at the Soda Fountain to just what she wanted. She looked rather odd sitting there in pretty clothes and makeup, wolfing down her shake with a spoon because it was too thick for a straw. Birdie quietly endured the staring from the other customers, mostly teenagers, and drank her soda.

They finished in half an hour and Mina graciously took the bill. She had the money after all.

"Wow. You certainly got yourself a good job overall," Birdie remarked. "How many people actually get to have the job they always wanted and be successful at it."

"Well it was a long hard road," said Mina, laying a tip down and standing up. "And actually I wanted to be a Pop Singer more, but my agent said my voice was positively atrocious and my body was far more marketable."

"Wow. He told you right to your face you suck, huh?" Birdie got up and walked with Mina out the door. "What was your reaction."

"I fired him," Mina shrugged. "Then I met Kyle about six months ago and got me this gig with the Studio. At first it was penny-ante stuff, but now I've become their leading Model so I get some respect nowadays."

"You don't think your job is in trouble with you turning that offer down?" asked Birdie. The two began walking back toward the car.

"Even if it is I wouldn't take it. And I have enough of a resume now to make a splash at some other Modeling places if need be," Mina paused as she stared at something directly ahead.

Birdie almost walked into her. "What's up?" she asked.

"Is that girl signaling to us?" Mina pointed ahead.

Birdie followed the point and saw a redheaded teenaged looking girl with short shoulder-length hair that was bright red. She was dressed in a white blouse and a green plaid skirt with thigh stockings and black buckle shoes. In fact she looked just like the perfect little school girl. She was waving to them and when she got both of their attention she held up a finger and crooked it as if beckoning them to follow.

"Who, us?" Mina pointed to her chest.

The girl nodded and took out a Cell Phone from her pocket. At least at first that's what it looked like. She hit a button on the device and put it to her mouth. Mina's cell beeped and vibrated all at once, causing her to answer it. "Hello?"

"Are you Mina Aino and Birdie Ayakashi?" The words moved in time with the mysterious red head's mouth.

"Yes," Mina narrowed her eyes. "How did you get this number?"

"That's not important, Sailor Venus," the girl replied. "It's very important, however, that you follow me."

Mina nearly dropped her phone at the sound of her Senshi name being casually thrown out over the air. The girl smirked, closed her device, and pointed skyward. A second later she disappeared around the corner into an alley.

"This looks bad," Birdie said. "She's no ordinary schoolgirl."

The two of them ran around the bend to where the girl had gone and saw that she'd vanished. "Nope. Definitely not ordinary."

A stone hit Birdie on top of the head and she looked up. There at the top of the building overhead was the girl, tossing another pebble up and down in her right hand and waving at them. "There she is!" Birdie exclaimed.

"Well let's not disappoint her," Mina said, taking out her Henshin Stick. "If she wants to provoke me, she's pretty much succeeded."

"Venus Planet Power!"

"Mercury Planet Power!"

The transformation took seconds, but still, their quarry simply opened her mouth and waved her fingers as if yawning. She smiled again and disappeared from sight. Venus and Mercury jumped up into flight in order to catch her. They landed on the rooftop and looked around. A whistle caused them to look left and see the girl standing on the next adjacent rooftop. She waved again at them and skipped off in a carefree manner.

"She's playing with us, the cocky bitch," Venus gritted, taking off after her.

"Don't be hasty, Mina," Birdie followed her and activated her Computer Visor. "Let's have a look at her first." Something was wrong, however. Her computer couldn't home in on the fleeing girl at all. She couldn't get an accurate reading at all.

They chased her across a wide area of the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop to try and corner her. However she was always one step ahead of the two Senshi. They'd get to one roof only to see her one or two roofs away, skipping this way and that. Sailor Venus got the distinct sensation they were being seriously toyed with and it was continuing to burn away at her tattered remnants of patience.

"You realize of course this could be a trap," Birdie mentioned as they arced out over an old Railroad Yard near the Industrial section of Tokyo.

"I'd be pretty disappointed in her if it wasn't," Mina replied, spotting her standing still for a change on one of the abandoned Railcars. "And it looks like now's the time to meet her up close. Call for backup."

The two Senshi landed one either side of the girl. Birdie spoke into her wristcom. "Calling all Senshi. This is Sailor Mercury. We've got trouble in the abandoned Railroad Yard in Kobayashi. Drop what you're doing and come join the fun if you can."

"Sorry, I'm afraid I just won't allow that," the girl replied to Mercury. "I jammed your signal. I have no interest in fighting a whole team of Senshi by myself. But two should be just enough to keep me entertained."

Birdie listened to the static come back at her from her communicator and sighed. "Yup… It's a trap…"

"So who are you really? Other than extremely confident in yourself?" Sailor Venus said.

"I would have thought you'd recognize me, Sailor Venus," said the girl. "Let me show you…" Her disguise seemed to burn away in a column of fire, leaving a Senshi fuku with no straps that left her shoulders and back completely bare. Her chest bow was flared to resemble red flames. Her primary color was the same red as her hair. "I was one of the Nova Senshi who followed Galaxia here last year against Dark Mercury. I am Sailor Nova Sirius."

"You mean those five Senshi who all wore the color red?" Venus asked. "You all look the same to me."

Sirius clucked her tongue. "Touche, Venus. It would seem there's at least half a wit underneath that blonde curtain."

"Why you!" Sailor Venus pointed her finger at Sirius. "Venus Crescent Beam!"

"Touchy today aren't we?" Sirius leapt straight up over the beam and took out what appeared to be a Gymnastics Ribbon. She twirled the ribbon around in a spiral pattern directly at Venus. All of a sudden the ribbon seemed to catch fire and a cone of flame danced outward toward Mina.

"Watch it, Mina!" Sailor Mercury dove in and sprayed the flames with a blast of ice water. The two colliding attacks disintegrated one another and created a thick curtain of steam all around them. "You're getting hot-headed like Amara. If she's one of Galaxia's Senshi that could mean she's extremely dangerous."

With a cracking whip sound the red ribbon darted out of the mist and curled around Mercury's wrist. Birdie was yanked off her feet with only a tiny yelp and slammed into a nearby Railcar hard enough to tip it off its tracks and onto its side!

"Mercury!" Sailor Venus followed the ribbon to its source and cocked her fist back. "Why you!"

Mina punched and kicked at her foe. Sirius sidestepped, dodged and blocked her moves with smooth ease. Venus went for a right cross, but hit nothing but air. Sirius had ducked and was sliding through her open legs. Mina turned, only to have Sirius' ribbon snap out and wrap around her throat. Mina managed to get one fist up next to her throat to prevent strangulation.

"Not bad, but how good are you one-handed?" Sailor Nova Sirius moved in and struck with open hands in chopping motions. Venus blocked the first two with her free hand, but couldn't quite deflect the third. Only enough to keep the hand from striking a vital area.

Sailor Mercury climbed out the toppled car and jumped back up to where the other two were fighting. She got behind Sirius and punched her in the back of the head. Sirius stumbled a bit, then adapted. She kicked Venus in the midsection to stun her and turned to strike at Mercury's face.

Birdie somersaulted away and aimed. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" She strummed a string on her Lyre and a stream of water blasted at Sirius.

The Nova Senshi bent backwards to avoid the blast, only to see too late that Venus had loosened herself from the ribbon and was sweeping a kick straight at her face. What was intended to be a trip fortuitously struck Sirius in the side of the neck and sailed her directly into another Railcar. Her trajectory carried her through both wooden walls and into the hard gravel ground.

"Let's finish her!" Sailor Venus jumped into the air. "I'll distract her high! Go low!"

Sailor Nova Sirius spun to her feet and grabbed her ribbon. She danced out of the way of Venus' flying kick, snapped the tape around her ankle, and this time sent Mina for a ride. Birdie, who was running along the ground with her increased speed in order to circle around her blindside, ended up running directly into Venus as her body arced around out of control. The two Senshi, now sandwiched together, were carried hard into the old Station.

"A tandem attack was a good plan, except my specialty is breaking up tag-teams," Sirius announced. "Sirius Spiral Flare!" She once again twirled her ribbon and set the Station on fire with her fire cone.

Venus and Mercury leaped out of the inferno out near some old oil drums. Sirius grinned wickedly as she snapped her ribbon again and used it slice one of the barrels in half. Mina and Birdie found themselves soaked in fuel. Just a split second too late they figured out what was coming next, and with a snap of her fingers Sirius ignited the fuel, causing a massive explosion that blew both Senshi sky high!

When Sailor Venus and Sailor Mercury landed they were both unconscious and their clothes were badly tattered. Sirius checked both of them and didn't find any serious burns or lacerations. A normal mortal would have been blown to bits or burned to a crisp. Still, she was mildly worried that she might have overdone it just a bit.

"Mission accomplished," Sirius said. "Sorry about this, Venus and Mercury. But business is business and all that. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." She raised her communicator to her mouth again. "This is Sirius. Three to transport up to Galaxia's ship. I'm sending my coordinates."

In thirty seconds a bright beam of light shot down from above and washed over the three Senshi's bodies. When it cleared the fire was out and the Senshi were all gone from the Railroad Yard.

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT... CHAPTER THREE: PLUTO AND SATURN


	4. Pluto and Saturn

CHAPTER THREE: PLUTO AND SATURN

Amy came awake rather suddenly in a strange place. The lights were low. She was laying on a bed but it wasn't her own bed. This bed was in a room she didn't recognize. The walls were made of some kind of shiny black material and the furnishings were sparse. There was a small table on the far end of the room and a single door. Next to the bed there was a small box. Amy didn't know what that box was for because it didn't have drawers or a door or anything. It just looked like a featureless black box.

Looking to the foot of her bed, Amy saw a familiar girl sitting in a small chair. She raised her head off the soft mattress, noting for the first time that the surface she slept on felt like it was made of some sort of gel that molded to her body. Amy noted in the back of her mind that she couldn't remember feeling better when waking up before this occasion.

"Ms. Violet?" Amy whispered.

The girl with shifting hair colors stirred and opened her mismatched eyes. She smiled at Amy. "Oh dear. I must have dozed off. How are you feeling?"

"Where am I?" Amy asked, disoriented.

"You are on the 'Colossus'. The personal Starship of Sailor Galaxia, somewhere in the skies over Planet Earth right now," Violet replied. "There's nothing to worry about, you're in no danger."

"Where are the others?" asked Amy.

"On their way to Japan even as we speak," said Violet.

"They left without me?"

"Oh no. This was the plan all along," Violet answered. "Do you recall me telling you in Germany how after our fight you were going to be presented with an extraordinary opportunity? You and your friends the Sailor Senshi?"

Amy thought back. "I… Seem to remember. Is that why I'm here?"

"You're taking this very well," Violet observed. "Yes. I have brought you here because we wish to extend to you an invitation to Kinmoku. It is our home world. The home world of the Senshi Race. Does that intrigue you?"

"What for?"

Violet stood up and walked around to Amy's side and gripped her hand softly. "It won't be permanent. We have… You could say we're holding a bit of a party and you're invited. There's more to it than that of course, but I'll let Galaxia give you the details when your friends arrive. You'll be going along with Sailor Moon and the rest. Your friends Solar Pilot and the Trinity will be staying behind to protect Earth in your absence. They knew about this, that's why they encouraged you to go along with me to begin with."

"Robert… Didn't seem to want me to go," Amy mumbled. "He looked worried."

"Let me assure you there is nothing to worry about, Amy," Violet said, stroking her hand gently. "I will personally be with you and guide you through this. You and your friends. That is my function. I have been looking forward to this and I guarantee you will enjoy yourself thoroughly before you return to Earth."

Amy looked at Violet. "That fight. What was it all about?"

"A test, Amy. One that you passed with flying colors," Violet replied.

"But I lost," Amy was confused.

"To a seasoned opponent, which is nothing to be ashamed of," Violet assured her. "As I told you before I've been doing this since before you were born. When you've been a Senshi as long as myself or Galaxia you pick up a few tactics. Your power is absolutely wonderful and I hope to see you again in action soon. For now we'll let you rest."

Amy nodded, managing a small smile. "You were… trying to teach me?"

"Very astute," Violet returned that smile tenfold. It was, Amy noted, a smile completely without falsity. "Defeat is the best teacher of all. We learn more when we lose than we do if we win. Power, as you most undoubtedly know by now, is not everything. Experience and intelligence are also necessary. From my fight with you, the only thing I could see you lacking is experience. Kinmoku, I believe, will be quite the experience builder for you."

Amy tried to sit up and that's when she noticed finally that her neck was a bit stiff. She rubbed at it with her free hand. "That was… some hold you put on me down there," she remarked.

"A simple submission hold. I'm sorry if I hurt you. Is there any place else where you hurt too much?" Violet sounded truly concerned for her. That made Amy smile. She shook her head.

"I think that I just need to stretch a little," she said. "When will the others be here?"

"Any time now. In the meantime if you should need anything don't hesitate to ask for it," Violet released her hand. "Now if you'll excuse me I must have a word with Sailor Galaxia. Press the button on the wall near your bed if you want help with anything. You may wander the ship if you wish, but be careful not to get lost. That's something very easy to do if you're a first timer and some places are not meant to be trespassed, if you know what I mean."

Amy nodded. "Do you… have anything for me to eat?"

Violet chuckled. "Silly me," she walked over to the black box and ran her index finger up the side of it. Suddenly the front slid open and revealed a control panel. Amy leaned in, interested as Violet hit some of the buttons and a hot meal that looked like some kind of soup, some cubes of varying colors, and a cup of some red liquid appeared. "You should like this combination," Violet said. "It's nothing you've ever had before on Earth of course, but it's nutritious and hopefully you'll like the taste of it."

"Th-thank you," Amy blinked in surprise. "Is that a… replicator?"

"Oh, so you have something like this down on Earth?" Violet raised her eyebrows.

"No… But I've seen it on Science Fiction shows on occasion," Amy chuckled. "I always thought the idea a tad fantastic, but apparently I'm wrong."

Violet grinned. "This is only the tip of the iceberg, Amy. You will see so many more fantastic things on this voyage. Things you could scarcely imagine possible. I can't wait to show you." She turned to leave. "Eat, you'll feel better. I'll be back to come get you when the others are all gathered aboard."

"Thank you," Amy said as her host left her alone. Amy looked up at the ceiling. "I wonder what I have to do to turn the lights up a little brighter?" she asked aloud. Suddenly the lights brightened considerably and Amy gasped. "Well… That helps," she said. She looked at the plate of food and decided to go for it. Her Mother always told her to try new things whenever possible…

Sssss

She was fidgety and nervous, and she had this habit of pushing her glasses up on her nose a lot, even though they didn't need it, and when she wasn't touching her glasses she was wringing her hands in her lap. She had no trouble with eye contact, however. Her short blue hair and crystal blue eyes reminded Jed of somebody he knew once.

"I've, uh… I've heard a lot about you, Inspector Tokiba," she stammered shyly.

"Oh you have, have you?" Jed murmured, scanning her resume. Ms. Midori Takahashi, age twenty-four years, graduate from Keio University with a Bachelors in Accounting. Most of her jobs in the past two years were Secretary type jobs in Computer Corporations and Banks. None of her job experiences were terribly long. The longest of the five lasted about half a year. She'd only been on the job market for two years yet she'd seen more different positions than most seasoned Secretaries. The question he had in mind was why she never seemed able to hold a job?

"I saw you on television plenty of times," Midori continued. "The first time was after July 23rd, and you were hailed as a Tokyo hero who aided the Police and Army units during the battle. Then again a few weeks later as you were admitted to the Tokyo Police, and you were the first rookie cop to be waived the Police Academy because you were so intelligent. I've seen you on and off now and then, but a few months ago you were involved in that Senshi Vigilante Case and you really hit the popularity charts. Everyone in the city knows your name. Look at you… You're already a Detective."

"It's… my military background," Jed partially lied. "I rose to the rank of General before I retired. The Commissioner saw some value in my experience. Of course it was no cakewalk. I had to convince him first, but he eventually came around."

"It's a real honor just to meet you, sir," Midori admitted with a slight blush. "And I also heard you needed a Secretary. I, um… saw your ad in the paper just yesterday."

Jed looked up at her. "I've received a lot of offers lately from a lot of women. I notice you have quite the record here, Ms. Takahashi. A lot of jobs, none of them kept for very long. Can you tell me why you haven't held a job for more than half a year?"

"Oh… That's a little embarrassing…" Midori blushed even harder and looked away. She again pushed up her glasses on her nose. Jed could see the bruises on her nose from the pads being moved around too much. "The truth is… I've been job-hopping, trying to figure out what was… you know… best for me. I'm not a bad worker… In fact most of my bosses were very upset to see me go."

"Most of them?" Jed asked.

"I have them as my references… You can call them if you want their opinions," said Midori, wringing her hands again.

Jed nodded. He knew he was interrogating her, but she was far more interesting and seemed more intelligent than most of her competition. Thus far the bulk of his applicants were fresh out of high school journeymen with more brains in their bosoms than in their heads. Jed didn't want an ornament that looked pretty. He wanted a Secretary who could do more than take phone calls now and then and send e-mail. "I believe I will. What was your specialty in school? I mean what was your favorite subject besides Accounting?"

Midori seemed to relax somewhat. "I'm good with numbers. I was very good with Mathematics and Economics. But I've also got a keen interest in Law."

Jed looked again at her resume. Indeed most of her classes in College from the looks of things were Law oriented. She could almost have minored in the subject. Her grades, if they were to be believed, were seldom sub-nineties. Of course if he doubted her she had a whole list of Professors as her references as well. Her resume was very well done and thought out. She had the mark of someone who was truly intelligent. Jed had to admit that he liked this Midori already.

"So after trying your hand in the business world you want to come work in the Police Department?" Jed asked.

"I've always dreamed I'd be helping out some Detective in his cases," Midori admitted. She swallowed and looked at the floor. "And… I couldn't pass up this opportunity to work for a man like yourself, Inspector."

"Just what kind of man am I, Ms. Takahashi?" Jed put the resume down on his desk. "What do you know of me from what you see on television?"

Midori knew she was on the hot seat now, and she blushed again. "Well, sir… I, uh… That is… You always seem so guarded on TV. D-don't take this the wrong way… But you seem like the type who hides his feelings and who's always serious. You address the media politely, yet you never hold back on your own opinions, and you seem also to believe very strongly in your work. And as for your accomplishments… Well, your actions speak for you if the media speaks truly."

Jed was well and truly surprised at her assessment, and he made his decision right then. This girl was one in a million. She had intellect and enthusiasm. "One more question," he said. "How do I know you won't quit on me six months down the road like you did with these other five jobs?"

Midori looked downcast. She must have thought she wasn't going to get the job. How wrong she was. "There's… Really nothing I can say to convince you, is there? But I want this job… More than all the others. Here's my chance to be the Secretary to a good Detective and to work in a legal environment. I think I'd like to stay at this one… I really do."

Her shoulders were bunched up and tense. Her brow was sweaty, and Jed could guess her heart was beating rapidly. "Relax," he assured her, standing up and sticking his hand out. "You've got the job. You qualify far more than anyone who's come to me thus far. You seem to have a good eye for people and a good head on your shoulders. We just have to work on your people skills."

Midori stood up and laughed nervously. She bowed from the waist. "Thank you so much! I'm so relieved!"

"Just to give you a fair warning," Jed told her cautiously. "I'm a bit moody in the mornings and when I'm deep in a case. I like to work with total concentration, so I'll be counting on you to screen everyone and everything that comes through the office. Do not disturb me unless you feel it's important. You won't just be handling phone calls and screening visitors, however. You'll be doing most of my paperwork, doing research when I call for it, and fixing all of my appointments. Are you any good with the internet?"

"Yes," Midori nodded.

"Good, you'll be my help with that as well," said Jed. "I'm not any good at that stuff."

"That sounds fine, Inspector," Janice giggled. "A lot of older people aren't very good at that stuff. And I'd actually be disappointed if all I did was baby-sit the phone all day every day. I'll try not to disappoint you." She bowed again.

"Come in tomorrow morning early. I get to work around six o'clock in the morning, so try to be here about a half hour before me. That'll give you time to get set up. I already have a desk and computer cleared for use by you, and you'll be stationed directly in front of my office door. And one more thing…"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Call me Jed from now on."

Midori smiled again and bowed for a third time. "Only if you call me Midori, Inspector."

"Deal."

Jed escorted Midori Takahashi out of his office, briefly showed her the desk she would work at, then bade her farewell. Just as Midori was leaving a young woman with long dark hair and dressed in a Senior's uniform from the local High School walked in. She was carrying a box in her left hand, wrapped in light blue cloth. It was Hotaru Tomoe.

Some of his coworkers were giving him meaningful glances as Hotaru walked toward him and Jed began to feel a certain sense of dread.

"Hello, Jed," Hotaru greeted him. "Who was that woman you were with just now?"

"Ms. Midori Takahashi, if you must know," Jed replied stiffly. "She's going to be my new Secretary here at work."

"Oh, if you needed a Secretary, why didn't you just tell me? I would have loved to work here part time as one," Hotaru looked crestfallen.

"You still have to finish High School, young lady," Jed said firmly. "And to work any sort of job in a Police Station you need to be qualified."

Hotaru sighed. "Well. I made you lunch, Jed," she held out the wrapped box to him. "You left without taking it this morning."

That was because Trista had given him her own ready-made box lunch and skillfully hid Hotaru's from sight. At least that's what Jed suspected. The rivalry between these two girls for him was pretty competitive since it started and he blamed no one but himself for his inability to resolve it. On the one hand he had Trista, a woman who he'd had feelings for since long ago and aside from a selfish streak was very mature in body and spirit. On the other hand there was Hotaru, the Senshi who made it possible for him to be alive here in the world today, who'd sacrificed herself to death for him, and who was irresistibly sweet and caring toward him.

"Thanks, Hotaru. You might want to work out some sort of deal with Trista eventually on making lunches on alternating days or something along those lines. This two lunches a day thing is killing me," he said to her.

"If you say you like hers better I'll stop," said Hotaru a trifle pathetically.

"That's not what I'm saying," Jed put a hand on her shoulder.

"Stop stringing her along, Jed. Just tell her the truth. My cooking is definitely better," another voice sent a bad vibe up Jed's spine. It was Trista. Now she was here too. "I thought you'd come here, Hotaru. You're a bad loser, you know that?"

"Says the girl who wanted to erase my existence to keep her ex-boyfriend to herself," Hotaru shot back.

Trista gasped. "Wh-when are you going to get over that? You should feel fortunate I'm such a good person and valued your friendship over my desire."

"Oh boy. I don't have time for this, ladies," Jed waved them off in exasperation. "I have work to do."

"Hiding behind your work again?" Trista blocked his escape with her body. "When are you going to choose which one of us you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Gee, you're not asking very much of me or anything," Jed snapped. "You want me to simply make such a monumental decision right here and now?"

"Marry 'em both, Inspector! We got your back!" one of his fellow Cops shouted. The whole station seemed to erupt in laughter.

"Thank you, Martin," Jed said loudly. "And what was that? You're saying you want to be reassigned to Mall Security? Get back to work!"

Martin snickered as he and his buddies turned away to continue what they were doing before.

"This is not the time nor the place, ladies, to be having this discussion," Jed said a bit lower to Hotaru and Trista. "Now please leave before I have one my Officers escort you both outside."

"Let me escort them, Detective," another woman's voice added. Jed turned to see a gorgeous woman with long red hair dressed in a Police uniform that was rather form-fitting. Jed noted her eyes were red as well and she wore a gold choker around her throat that had an odd star-like symbol on the clasp.

"Who are you?" he asked. "You new here?"

"I suppose we can leave it that," the woman said, turning to Trista. "I actually came to have a chat with a couple of Senshi."

"Oh really," Trista's eyes became shrewd as she eyed the choker around the woman's neck. "And what business would the Nova Senshi have here on Earth this time?"

Jed blinked. He thought he recognized her face from somewhere. It wasn't just déjà vu. "Keep it down, ladies," he whispered to them. "We're going to step outside right now. Out the back door."

"Good idea, General," the woman led the way to the back as the four of them made their way out of the Police Station. They emerged in an alley near the building's dumpster.

The woman came to a stop and turned crisply. She looked at Hotaru and Trista with a dangerous look in her eyes. "For what I'm about to do, I'm sorry ahead of time. To avoid serious injury I recommend you transform about now."

"What's going on?" Jed put his hand on the butt of his pistol.

Suddenly the woman moved faster than any of the three were prepared for. The heel of her hand caught Jed upside the jaw and knocked him for a loop. His limp body came to a stop ten feet back, banging unconsciously against the nearby dumpster.

Trista and Hotaru were unprepared for the sudden strike and it was Trista who barely caught the woman's fist inches from her face. The redhead responded by breaking the hold and somersaulting backward. As her body flipped through the air her Police disguise disintegrated and revealed a red and white fuku beneath it.

"Beetelgeuse! Hotaru! Transform!" Trista took out her pen. "Pluto Planet Power!"

Hotaru did the same. "Saturn Planet Power!" In seconds three Senshi faced one another off. Sailor Saturn held her Silence Glaive at the ready. Sailor Pluto still had the Garnet Rob, but because she was essentially fired as Time's Guardian the talisman that once topped the key-like staff, the Garnet Orb, was gone.

Saturn was angry. "Why did you strike us? What did you do to Jedite!"

"What if I said I killed him?" Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse said, spreading her legs fore and aft.

Saturn took a threatening step forward. Pluto held her rod out in front to block her path. "Hotaru, don't! If you thought she was fast before you haven't seen anything yet. This Senshi specializes in Zero-G combat, which makes her extremely agile and speedy. She's the kind of foe you don't attack one on one. Follow my lead and we strike at the same time."

"But Jed" Hotaru started worriedly.

"Don't get distracted!" Trista hissed back. She glared at Beetelgeuse. "Why?" she asked her.

Beetelgeuse broke her stance and charged. "Beat me and I'll tell you why!"

She went for Pluto first. Trista was ready for an attack, but still barely ducked a powerful kick. The outer reach of her Garnet Rod was impeded by the sudden proximity of her opponent. Beetelgeuse attacked with alarming speed, just as Pluto expected, but still was caught on her heels.

Hotaru moved around behind Beetelgeuse and jabbed with her Silence Glaive. Beetel spun out of the path of the blade and kicked the shaft so that the weapon pointed briefly skyward in Saturn's hands. Beetelgeuse chopped Hotaru in the throat with a quick jab, causing the Saturn Senshi to double over, gagging.

Sailor Pluto swung low with her Garnet Rod, forcing Beetelgeuse to flip to leap over it. Pluto let her momentum carry her around for another swing, this time at her legs. Beetelgeuse once again turned her speed up a notch and ran up the side wall, bounding off the surface to somersault again within Pluto's rod arc. Thus she caught Pluto's next intended strike at the elbow and jammed her own into Trista's Solar Plexus!

The air retreated from Pluto's chest, but she did manage to flip out of the reach of her opponent's finishing backhand. Saturn recovered and tried to strike again, only to find herself on the ground, unbelievably, next to Pluto with a boot mark already forming a dark bruise on the side of her ribcage.

"Get up!" Pluto got to her feet and dragged Saturn with her. "Stay down and it's already over," she said. "Never take your eyes off her."

"Where does her speed come from?" Hotaru gasped.

"Thousands of years of practice…" Pluto whispered. "An advantage we desperately lack. We're at a further disadvantage due to our relative lack of readiness for this fight. Furthermore in these tight quarters in a crowded city we can't use our powers without causing damage."

"I might add that calling for help is useless," Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse interrupted pointedly. "Your signal is being jammed and as we speak your other friends are likely busy with the other Novae. Some may already have fallen. Running, if you are truly Senshi at heart, is not an option either."

"Nothing like having a choice, is there?" Sailor Pluto responded. "What happens if we lose to you?"

"Who knows? For all you know I've been given orders to terminate you," Beetel replied. Her meaning was crystal clear. There was only way to find out.

"Saturn. I'll distract Beetelgeuse with a full attack. I want you to be ready with your Silence Wall," Trista whispered. "You'll know when the right time to use it will be."

"Be very careful," Hotaru whispered back, concentrating.

Sailor Pluto gave no warning to her next attack, but even so her opponent was there to meet her combinations. Pluto struck as fast as she could with alternating punches and kicks at varying points on Beetel's body. Beetelgeuse countered with blocks that looked like blurs to the naked eye. She was phenomenally fast. Her speed was conditioned, but her ability to read an enemy's next move was entirely natural. Trista knew every move she made was being broadcast in minute ways that only Beetelgeuse could read, but she also knew she was taking the focus off of her backup.

The alleyway they fought in had only one opening to the street. The other end was blocked by another high wall and Pluto, while seemingly unable to strike her foe, was slowly backing her into a corner. Hotaru began to see the opportunity unfolding and her Silence Glavie began to glow. At just the right moment, Pluto ducked, and by the time Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse realized what was going on, she was surrounded by an impenetrable, invisible force field.

Beetel punched the field, but her fist harmlessly pinged off the Silence Wall.

"Give me an opening, Saturn!" Trista shouted.

Saturn gritted her teeth as she concentrated on opening a small round hole in the front of the shield. Pluto saw it and shoved her Garnet Rod into the opening.

"DEAD SCREAM!"

The Silence Wall, which had formed a bubble around Beetel, was filled with a bright purple blast of energy that was at once contained by the field, and forced to detonate all its force within a small area. The concentrated blast ripped into the body of Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse, shredding her uniform and wounding her seriously.

Sailor Saturn released her energy with a gasp. It took so much concentration to keep up the force field and so much more to contain a blast like the Dead Scream. In fact her ears were ringing even though she was nowhere near the attack. Beetelgeuse's knees buckled. It was clear that attack hurt her.

"Well… played, Pluto," she said weakly as she braced herself against the wall. "I'd have thought… In such close quarters in a public area your powers would be useless."

"I may not fight battles as often as you do, Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse. But I've lived far longer and picked up a few strategies myself," Pluto said coldly. "Now do you intend to tell me what this is all about?"

"I haven't yet conceded defeat, Pluto. It would be wrong to assume you've won," Beetel straightened up and cracked her neck.

"Very well then. Hotaru! Contain her once again!"

"I don't THINK so!" Beetelgeuse cocked her fist back as if to throw something. "Nova Flash-bang!" With a heave she tossed a tiny ball of white light into the air overhead. Sailor Pluto recognized the attack, but not soon enough. She averted her eyes, but out of the corner of them she could see Hotaru looking directly at the tiny white light.

"Sailor Saturn! Look away and cover your ears!" Pluto shouted.

Too late. The last half of her sentence was blotted out by a brilliant burst of blinding white light and a sound like a sonic boom. Sailor Pluto managed to cover her ears, but her eyes were still open. Sailor Saturn got the worst of it. Caught completely unaware the sonic noise and blinding light washed over and through her small body with devastating results! The sound alone took her breath away. She lost all vision and her ears were overcome by a painful ringing that could have blocked out a gunshot.

Pluto rubbed at her eyes to try to get the spots out. Good thing she was looking away from the flash-bang attack or she'd have lost total vision. She barely made out her opponent leaping to the ground behind Sailor Saturn, who was crying and covering her ears painfully. A quick chop to the back of the neck silenced her.

This is terrible! She thought. I let my guard down. She would have never gotten that attack off if I had finished her off. Poor Hotaru. I must apologize to her whenever I get the chance.

Pluto uncovered her ears and tried to clear her spotty vision. She could barely see the alley and the silhouette of Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse advancing on her. Trista backed up, but had less room than she thought, for she backed right into the same wall she'd pinned Beetelgeuse into just moments before. "Shit!"

Beetel walked right up to Pluto's face. Pluto struck at her body with an open fist, but her coordination was off. Even in the best condition Pluto would have been hard pressed to make contact with her foe. Beetel caught her wrist, bent it sharply around and used her knee to knock the wind right out of Pluto's lungs with a blow to the Diaphragm! The next hit rendered Pluto completely unconscious, dropping her Garnet Rod with a clatter.

Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse stood victorious, though her body still hurt from that concentrated Dead Scream. She knew she couldn't linger. People would have seen or at least heard the Nova Flash-bang and would be getting curious before long.

"This is Nova Beetelgeuse," she spoke into her communicator. "I've subdued targets 'Glory' and 'Purity'. Three to transport at the following coordinates…"

A second later a bright beam of energy fell from the sky and engulfed the alleyway, taking all but the unconscious Police Detective up to Galaxia's ship.

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT... CHAPTER FOUR: URANUS AND NEPTUNE


	5. Uranus and Neptune

CHAPTER FOUR: URANUS AND NEPTUNE

Robert didn't talk to anyone during the last four hours. He'd finally gotten the explanation he'd demanded from Diana, Andrea and Alora about the whereabouts of Amy, but now he was angry for a different reason. He felt betrayed by these three. He'd worked alongside them for years of his life and they'd never kept a secret from him until now. Why didn't they tell him about Galaxia's plan? Why didn't they tell Amy ahead of time? Were they afraid of refusal? Were they still secretly working for Galaxia and whatever whims the Golden Senshi seemed to enjoy cooking up?

Maybe it was just his frustration. But to Rob this all seemed like some conspiracy. They didn't even take the jet flight to Tokyo as they'd all originally planned. His Sister told them they sold back the tickets this morning and were going to go to Japan in Sailor Earth's Spaceship. The flight would be much faster, she explained. And time was of the essence somewhat. Of course when pressed for details she kept her lips sealed.

So Robert went with them, though he was tempted not to. If they were going to treat him like some stranger he wasn't going to go along with whatever silly scheme they were cooperating with. Rob wanted to get to Tokyo so he could warn the Sailor Scouts of what he knew. Real allies would simply invite the Senshi to Kinmoku. This cloak and dagger stuff was shady and he wanted no part of it unless he got a satisfactory explanation.

About halfway to Tokyo, he felt the engines of the Spacecraft slow and then stop. All feeling of forward motion ceased. Robert looked out the window of the compartment he'd shut himself in and saw nothing but wide blue ocean outside. No land anywhere in his line of vision. Just where were they now?

His room door slid open and in walked Diana, Andrea and Alora in their Senshi forms. Rob narrowed his eyes. Why stop the ship over the open ocean and then come in fully transformed? Did they want to fight him or something? Did they want to shut him up? Rob knew there was once a time he would never have thought such things about these three. But to him they seemed tainted by their time on Kinmoku. No longer loyal to the heirs of the Solar System, but to a distant and whimsical Dictator. He felt his muscles go tense and he fingered his Solar Crystal.

"What do you want?" he asked them abruptly. "Where are we? Why did we stop?"

"Indian Ocean," said Alora. "Halfway home to Japan."

"We wanted to clear something up before we went any farther, Robert," Diana explained calmly. "I have been feeling a distressing amount of discontent from you the last four hours. You haven't said a word to us since our conversation after Amy disappeared and I am worried you may be contemplating something rash."

"The only rash people here are you," Rob said darkly. "Why are you so willing to hand Amy and the rest of the Senshi over to Galaxia this way? If she wants to take them to her world, why doesn't she just simply invite them? They'd be more inclined to agree to go if they weren't forced to make the decision."

"Brother, sit down," Andrea grabbed his arm and yanked him to a seat next to her. He glared at his sibling. "Look at you. You're wound up tighter than a guitar string. I see that hand in your pocket fondling your little crystal. Do you actually think we came in here to hurt you? What… do you think we stopped out in here in the middle of nowhere to off you and dump you in the water to sleep with the fishes like some corny Mob act?"

Rob looked away. He wouldn't have quite put it that way… "Then why are you all transformed?"

"Because this is how we plan on making our entrance in Tokyo, Rob," said Andrea. "Not all of the Senshi are going to Kinmoku. There will be some left behind and we will introduce ourselves to them and slowly begin to integrate our lives in Japan. Don't forget we're moving there once all the dust settles. It's not like we're going to back to Germany again."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rob muttered.

Andrea sighed and some of her sarcasm ebbed when she saw the pathetic look on his face. "Because look at you now," she said more softly. "You still don't understand even after we hit you upside the bean with the truth. You're so much like Dad. You're stubborn; you hate the idea of not being in control; and you jump to conclusions. I'm guessing you think we're all part of some vast conspiracy to kidnap the Senshi and take over the Planet Earth or something, don't you?"

"The first part is true. I never thought you were trying to take over the world," Rob's cheeks turned red. "I'm not stupid either, Andrea. But I feel as if I've been treated that way. We were a team once. I was as much a part of you three as you are part of one another. All it takes is one millennium apart to alienate us. You used to trust me. Or at least I'd like to think you did. I trusted you back then. I trusted you against the Dark Syndicate. I was happy you all came back to Earth. But this? This is how you repay me? By keeping me out of the loop? By not even giving me a hinting of what was going on? How do you expect me to act? You want me to be happy? Or simply just accept what happened and move on? Never mind the fact I'm worried to death about what Amy is going through. If you say she's fine, then good. I'll accept that. But the fact is you still kept me on the outside. You didn't even bother to tell Amy about what was planned for her. Didn't she at least have a right to know?"

"Robert… We never meant to keep you out of the loop…" Diana began.

"Shut up, Di," Andrea cut her off. "Let me do this. This is a family issue." She glowered at Rob. "Now, if you're done complaining, I'll tell you why we decided you didn't need to know. First, we were sworn to secrecy by Galaxia herself. It was the only way we could negotiate our release from her service and our return to Earth, which above everything else in the Universe we wanted badly. So badly we could taste it. We weren't even allowed to help against Dark Mercury. I'm sure you're very aware of that feeling of helplessness, am I right?"

Robert nodded and looked at the floor.

"Second, this was something we all agreed would be a growing, learning experience for Amy, and one way to cheapen the effect of that education would be to tell her about it ahead of time. It's like giving her the answers before a test. It wouldn't help her at all as a person. Thirdly, we didn't tell you because you have a long history of overreaction and going against the grain. You particularly have a mind-block when it comes to Mercury, and we couldn't be a hundred percent certain you wouldn't tell Amy at some time, even if we told you not to. But most importantly, Robert… look at me!"

Rob looked up at Andrea, his eyes moist.

"Most importantly we knew that when the time came there would probably be some sort of misunderstanding of intentions," said Andrea. "We thought Amy might possibly feel betrayed as well when she found out what was to happen and might not trust us anymore. We kept you on her level of knowledge so that if that happened… She would still have reason to trust you. Do you hear what I'm trying to tell you? We did it because we didn't want to jeopardize what you and Amy have together. Not after all those years you suffered in silence. I know I tease you about it, Rob. But I didn't want to ruin that for you. If you want to blame anyone, blame me. I overruled these two in the original discussion of our insidious plot to kidnap the Senshi to tell you about it because of that very reason."

Robert didn't really have an answer for that one. He turned and faced out the window, not saying anything for a long time. Finally, he turned back to his Sister. "So what's the plan, really? Other than some intergalactic bash, what does Galaxia want to do going about things this way?"

"The Senshi are but children, Robert. You, like we do, know this," said Diana. "They didn't endure through the ages like we did, Robert, they were reincarnated with no memory of their true selves. Some of them are barely two decades old. They're powerful, but inexperienced. They almost lost to Dark Mercury because of that. Galaxia saw this when she was here last year. She doesn't want to lose the last surviving children of the Moon Kingdom. She especially doesn't want to lose Sailor Moon. Because Galaxia loves them all so very much, she wants to educate them. Sometimes, Robert… Education is a very harsh teacher. But in the end they will all be better off for it. That's why the kidnapping. The fighting. On Kinmoku they'll be bombarded with challenges, one after another, but it will help them grow. It helped us grow. We went along with this plot because we love them too. And wherever their parents are now, we know they want this too."

"Now fess up," Andrea pinched him in the arm. "You were going to try and spill the beans to the Senshi when we got there. You were going to try and throw a monkey wrench in our operation."

Robert blushed further and wanted to stick his head under a pillow for being so foolish. "You don't have to rub it in," he mumbled.

"Well, you wouldn't have succeeded anyway. Part of the reason we stopped out here was because we were ahead of schedule. We're going to get to Tokyo after the Senshi are gone. Our job is to keep watch over the world while they're gone so they don't have to worry. Now that you're on board with this whole vast evil conspiracy and you're now a true, died in the wool super villain, can we count on you to help take over the Universe in the name of the Evil Empire?" Andrea winked.

"You're going to keep on picking on me now, aren't you?" Rob glared at her, this time without much force.

"Would you like me to give you paper cut and pour alcohol on it while I'm at it?" Andrea grinned evilly.

"No. I think the verbal abuse is quite painful enough," Robert carped. "And I'm sorry. I won't ever doubt you again."

"Yes you will, but hey, we don't mind. If you were any other way you just wouldn't be my little Brother," Andrea stood up and stretched. "So… While we're parked way out here over the water… Why don't we do some swimming? We got time to kill, right?"

Sssss

Michelle was playing on her violin outside of the concert hall, practicing for a recital that evening. She had attracted quite a crowd by the time Amara came roaring up on her motorcycle. It wasn't much of a surprise to see that 99 of the crowd was male. Michelle was stunning in her concert gown, aquamarine, with sapphire jewels sparkling in the sunlight, and the boys took the opportunity to drool as they listened.

Amara listened for a minute or two, until Michelle ended her song with a flourish. The guys around her applauded and crowded in on her. A lot of them were asking her for dates and such, and Michelle only smiled, pretending to be flattered. Amara pushed the kick-stand down with her foot and got off her bike.

"Show's over, people," she announced in a husky voice as she took off her helmet.

"Amara! So you made it after all!" Michelle flew into Amara's arms and the two kissed. It was a bit melodramatic, but the scene had its desired effect. Amara watched out of the corner of her eye as every guy standing there saw their dreams shatter and fall all over the pavement.

"Awww! Man!"

"The talented ones always have boyfriends..."

"What does HE have that I don't!"

"Lucky bastard…"

"... C'mon, let's go. There's plenty of girls down at the mall..."

Muttering in disgust, they all drifted away from the couple. Only then did Michelle disengage from her embrace. Amara smiled in deep amusement, "You are such a player," she playfully accused.

"If the situation were reversed, I would be saying that to YOU," Michelle smiled. "I see how those girls downtown check out your butt. And don't tell me you don't flirt like a jock either!"

Amara smirked self-consciously. She bent down to pick up Michelle's violin case. "The funniest part is when they find out I'm really a girl. The reactions are priceless. Some of them continue to follow me, even more turned on than before." Amara's gaze became thoughtful. "You meet some weird people in this town."

Michelle placed her violin in its case and looked at her partner. "I just have to put this in the backstage for tonight's show," she explained. "Then I'll come out and we can go somewhere in the interim. I know you don't want to wait here for seven hours."

"I'll be at my bike," Amara gestured over her shoulder. "It's too beautiful out to be inside for even a few minutes."

"Great," Michelle gave Amara a small peck on the cheek. "I'll be out in just a few minutes."

Amara walked back to her bike and put her helmet back on. Maybe she could kill a few minutes riding around the block a couple of times. She could never get enough of her bike. She kicked the throttle, and took off with a roar of engines.

It happened about the third time she came around the last corner. She spotted the Burglar in the back alley across the street, holding up a poor woman.

"Gotcha!" Amara licked her lips in anticipation. She went around the corner and parked her bike. Finding an empty alley, she transformed into Sailor Uranus. When she came back around, the man was running like hell to get as far away from the crime scene as possible. The woman he'd held up was screaming for help.

Sailor Uranus took to the sky and quickly ran the robber down. She did a strafing run and skimmed the top of his head before landing in front of him.

"AAACK!" The robber halted dead in his tracks. "Damn! A Sailor Scout! Some guys have all the luck!"

"We can do this two ways," said Sailor Uranus, grinning coolly. "My way… Or my way."

The Burglar, in his panic, held out his gun and pointed it at her. "D-d-don't move," he stammered. "I gotta gun!"

Amara kept her cool, even though her instincts screamed at her to move like crazy to keep from being shot. People had gathered around, albeit at a distance, to watch this showdown. "What are you going to do? Shoot me?" Sailor Uranus said in a deadly voice. "Let's say that bullet actually does hurt me. What do you plan to do after that? Is it really worth killing someone over a snatched purse? Want to jump from a prison sentence of maybe a few months to Death Row? There are witnesses everywhere. You'll have to leave the country to get away from the heat. And all that over a simple purse. Seems a waste of your life to me, doesn't it? Of course… That's all supposition. I'm not actually admitting to you or insinuating that your gun there will even have a snowball's chance of wounding me. Don't you ever watch the News?"

The man's hand was visibly quaking as he looked around. Everyone was looking right at them as if the whole city had come to a pause.

"Time's running out. What are you going to do, sport?" Uranus called his attention back to her.

"I… I…" The Burglar lowered his gun and flicked the safety on. "Y-you're right. You're a Senshi. You girls are darn near invincible…"

"Why don't you put the gun and the purse down and back off?" Sailor Uranus warned him. "I won't hurt you if you do what I say."

Looking utterly outmaneuvered, the Burglar, who didn't strike Amara as particularly bright, put both his possessions down on the sidewalk and backed off. Uranus walked forward until she was standing atop the pistol and put her hands on her hips. "The Police are coming. Be a good boy and you'll do some time, but I'm sure you could use the lesson. Better than dying at any rate."

The Burglar only nodded as he got down on the ground just in time for a Police Car to pull up and two cops to get out and survey the scene. They both looked at her in awe and cuffed the man on the ground in amazement.

"We've got a misdemeanor Code 202 on Juuban Avenue," one of them said into their radio. "Situation diffused. We're bringing the suspect in right now."

The radio buzzed something unintelligible back and the senior officer scratched his head as he faced Uranus. "Uh… Thank you, ma'am. You did good."

"No problem," Amara fought her smirk at the officer's uncertainty. Even after a year the police still didn't know what to make of the Sailor Scouts. The atmosphere was a lot better than it used to be thanks to Jed, but it was still amusing how they walked on eggshells around the Senshi. Especially the older cops. The younger ones seemed to generally worship the Senshi. Hormones might have had something to do with that. "Just doing my civic duty, officer. Carry on," Amara gave him a two-fingered salute before taking off into the sky.

Amara changed back into her alter ego in the same alley she'd left her bike and drove out of it barely ten feet from the crime scene. No one noticed her at all. They were all still looking skyward, thinking she'd flown off like some superhero to some secret base. People were so gullible. But then again, they wouldn't be so lovable any other way.

Michelle was waiting outside when Amara pulled back up. "Sorry I'm late. Did you wait long? The Maestro had to stop me and give his compliments," she said.

"No, I found something to entertain myself with," Amara shrugged. "Grab a helmet and get on. We'll go get something to eat."

Michelle took the second helmet, placed it on, then sat down on the back of the seat with both legs hanging off the left side. She wrapped her arms around Amara's waist gently but firmly. Having her lover hold her like that, even just to hang on for dear life, made Amara happier than anything and she squeezed her throttle a few times before tearing off down the street.

Sssss

The streets of Tokyo were busy with traffic. It wasn't rush hour just yet, but it soon would be and the volume of vehicles was steadily increasing. Amara came to a four-way stop, thinking about where the two of them should stop off to eat. It shouldn't be too far from the concert hall because traffic might prevent them from getting back in time and Michelle would never let her forget it either.

"Asano's Pub is just around the corner, maybe I should take us there. What do you think?" she asked.

Michelle nodded. The light turned green. Amara steered her bike into the right lane.

A quick glance in the side view mirror just at that moment revealed another motorcycle behind them make the same move several cars back. Amara didn't think anything of it at first, other than wondering what kind of bike that person was riding. But as they went on down the road, Amara kept glancing back and noticing that the other cyclist was mirroring every move they made. When she changed a lane, so did the other rider. When she took a left or a right at an intersection, so did the other.

"Oh, honey. You passed Asano's," Michelle said, turning her head.

"Huh?" Amara glanced and saw that she did indeed. When she looked back in her mirror she saw the biker make a move to get around a slow car. The other rider was dressed in black leather and had a helmet on, but Amara was sure that the cyclist was a woman.

"I'll round the next block," Amara said distractedly. Her suspicions about their follower were deepening. She continued to study the other bike. What sort of model was that anyway? She'd never seen one quite like that before.

Amara took a right to circle the block and just as she suspected the other rider turned as well. Amara began to feed more speed to her ride and changed several lanes to try and move a few cars ahead. A confirmation glance in her mirror showed the other biker doing the same and her suspicions became full blown certainty. They were being tailed.

"Change of plans," Amara growled, speeding up more and deliberately missing their next turn.

"What is it?" asked Michelle.

"We're being followed. I'm going to try and lose her," Amara shifted into higher gear and buzzed past the slower traffic. Their pursuit sped up as well. All pretense of following was cast aside.

"Is it the other biker?" Michelle asked her.

"Yes. I don't know what she wants but I'm going to lead her to a place where we can have a little talk," Amara didn't know who would want to chase her like this, but if it was dangerous she wasn't going to waste time and endanger her girlfriend by trying to outride her pursuer through dangerous city streets.

Is it some overly curious reporter? Someone who accidentally stumbled on my transformation? Is she a Gangster? Or is she after Michelle? Amara's head swam with questions as she zipped up the main boulevard leading out of the downtown area. Thirty minutes later Amara pulled into an automobile junkyard out in the suburbs of Nerima.

"I want you to go hide," Amara said to Michelle. "I'll confront this person directly."

"I'm not going to hide from this," Michelle said stubbornly. "It's not like we're Human or anything, unless this person has a gun we should have no trouble. Besides, I'm not leaving you alone."

"Fine," Amara stopped her bike and slammed down the kickstand with her heel. The other rider drove into the wide open spot in the center of the yard and came to a stop opposite her.

"What do you want?" asked Amara to the rider as she dismounted. "If you want trouble you came to the wrong place."

"I do want trouble," said the other rider, removing her helmet. Her face revealed she had dark skin and bright red hair that was dread-locked and reached to her shoulders. "And I know exactly where I want to find it." She tossed the helmet aside and unzipped her black leather jumpsuit. Underneath was a red and white Senshi uniform with a wide collar, bare shoulders and short gloves with high heels. Other than that it looked pretty standard. Her tiara looked like a wire holding a red jewel in the center. The girl's eyes were a lovely shade of lavender. She wasn't black, but her skin was a deep mocha color that clashed with her uniform in a way.

"You look familiar," Amara accused her. "I've seen you before."

"Almost a year ago to this day," the Senshi replied. "I am a member of the Nova Senshi. Sailor Nova Orion is what they call me."

"What business do you have here this time? There's nothing going on right now where we might need your help. And it's very rude to follow people like you did, I might add," said Amara.

Orion smiled. "I'll keep that in mind for next time. But if you must know my business… I'm here to take you by force. Feel free to transform and defend yourselves. Otherwise this will hurt… a lot!"

"Excuse me!" Michelle exclaimed.

Orion kicked her jumpsuit aside and raised her hand overhead, palm upward, and generated a massive fireball. "You have ten seconds," she warned. "This fireball flies no matter what after that."

"Stop this! I will not fight for no reason!" Michelle stepped forward.

"How's this for a reason then?" Orion snapped. "If you don't fight your precious Moon Princess will die! These are the orders I've been given!"

Amara's eyes nearly burst into flames at the mention of hurting Serena. "You won't touch a single hair on her head! URANUS PLANET POWER!"

Michelle followed suit. "Neptune Planet Power! By the power of Neptune, whatever your reasons for picking a fight with us and threatening Sailor Moon, you will be punished!"

"Ha! That's more like it!" Orion seemed to grow more excited and she let fly with her fireball. The heat traveled speedily, carving a trench in the ground. Neptune and Uranus split up to either side as the fireball smashed into a stack of crushed cars and exploded, decimating the twisted metal even further.

"It's a good thing we're out here in a junkyard and not in the middle of a crowded city," said Uranus, generating her Space Sword. "Now I don't have to hold back."

"I wouldn't want you holding back anyway!" Orion charged Uranus with her fists engulfed in flame.

CHAPTER FOUR: JUPITER AND MARS

Lita got out of Cooking School later than usual. She had insisted on finishing her project before going home, even though the other students had opted out. Her Professor had hung around to supervise and approve her final product. He seemed to like her projects. He often complemented her works, but always had a suggestion for her to make it better.

Now she carried her finished cookies on a plastic covered tray. Thirteen of them in all. A true baker's dozen. Her professor had eaten the fourteenth one and his praise of her ability was especially glowing today.

"You've taken all that I've taught you so far into account, Ms Kino. I knew I had a good feeling about you. You'll be a terrific Chef someday," he'd told her.

Lita's cheeks burned nicely from the compliments and she gazed lovingly at her final product as she walked along the street. She simply had to share this with her friends. She knew Serena in particular would enjoy them. The Hikawa Temple wasn't too far away from here. Maybe she'd stop by there first and give a couple to Katsie and Mr. Hino. Chad too, if he was there. From there she could call and touch base with the others.

Her mind made up, Lita took a left on Cherry Hill Road and walked the three blocks toward the elevated portion of the city after which the street was named. At the top of that hill was Raye's old Shinto Shrine. Her successor, Katsie Ayakashi, spent most of her time there as well. She was trying to learn the psychic powers that seemed to latently come along with the Mars Senshi power. Katsie's efforts were rapidly gaining ground on her predecessor. Raye's Grandfather often commented that she might one day surpass Raye if she kept this pace up.

Lita made her way up the slope and then up the stairs to the temple grounds. Such a climb would have exhausted a lesser person, but it was no problem for Lita. Even before she'd been a Senshi she was very athletic.

Chad was in the front yard, raking leaves with a set of headphones on his head and bopping his head to whatever Heavy Metal he was listening to.

Silly, Lita thought, sneaking up on him. She got to within three feet of his body and reached out with her free hand. Chad surprised her by spinning around and holding up his rake like a staff and crying out like some cheap Kung-Fu flick: "Hoo! Wa! Hai! Yaaaaaaaa….!" he trailed off and lowered his guard when he found it was Lita. "Hey, Lita. Didn't know it was you."

"You surprised me. And here I was trying to surprise you," Lita replied. "You're getting better at that psychic stuff too I see."

"Actually I saw your shadow," Chad pointed to the ground. "You just happened to be at the right angle for me to see it coming. Grandpa's already told me enough times I don't have a psychic bone in my body."

"That's rather harsh coming from him," Lita laughed. "Is Katsie here?"

"Yeah, she's entertaining a customer," Chad pointed to the area behind the shrine. "Big girl. Scary. You should see her. She might give you a run for your money in a fight."

"Oh really," Lita uncovered her cookie plate. "Take one, you big silly."

"Oh, coolness!" Chad grabbed one. "Your cookies are the bomb! Thanks a lot, Lita!"

Lita chuckled and bid him later as she circled around the back of the shrine. When she rounded the corner and saw Katsie with her guest she nearly dropped her cookies on the ground.

Katsie stood in her Shinto robes before a hulking behemoth of a woman! The girl was also dressed in similar garb, but her hair was bright red and hung to her middle back. Her size, like Chad had informed her, was astounding. She must have been about six and a half feet tall and her body was huge all around. Almost like she had the musculature of an Amazon!

"Oh, hi Lita," Katsie broke off whatever lesson she was giving the big girl. "You just get out of class?"

"Uh, yeah…" Lita stammered, approaching the two of them. Her gaze never left the giantess. And I thought I was a big girl, she finished in her head. "I was going to… share one of my end results with you to see what you think."

"Thank you," Katsie beamed. "But I'm sure from you they're already going to be good. By the way, this is Hera. She came to my place earlier this afternoon looking to learn a thing or two about Shintoism. She's a very avid student."

"I find it fascinating," Hera bowed to Lita. Her voice was quiet, belying her huge form. "By the way, it's a pleasure to meet you. I can tell just by your presence you're a Senshi, Lita Kino."

"Huh!" Lita jumped back. "How'd you know my name!"

"I came here to meet you," Hera replied. She turned to a surprised Katsie and bowed to her. "And you too of course. I must apologize to you for not being completely honest, but it was necessary. I don't usually talk this much… I guess I'm just so excited."

"About what?" Katsie was thrown off.

"I'm Sailor Nova Hercules. I've come to challenge the two of you," Hera straightened up to her full height with a broad smile on her face.

"You're a Senshi!" Katsie took a step back. "I never… I-I never even felt your power!"

"Challenge us? What's going on?" Lita felt her muscles tense. "We don't want any trouble."

The big girl cast off her robes and revealed a Senshi uniform that clung to every inch of her muscular frame and accentuated her build. Her wrists were cuffed with gold cuffs and her boots came up to mid-calf. Her top had only one strap going over her right shoulder, leaving the left one bare. And what impressive shoulders they were! She gave bodybuilders a bad name!

"If you don't transform, I may hurt you," Sailor Nova Hercules cracked her knuckles. "I'm sorry ahead of time."

"Wait… You're one of those five Senshi who we saw helping Galaxia last year," Lita pointed out. "What beef do you have with us all of a sudden?"

"Don't misunderstand. It's not personal," Hercules moved so quickly it was frightening! Her size had no bearing on her movements whatsoever as she grabbed Katsie by the wrist and slung her hard into the side of a tree, cracking it in half with the impact. Katsie fell to the ground, barely conscious.

"Katsie!" Lita cried out, dropping her cookies.

Sailor Nova Hercules aimed a fist at Lita's head and the Jupiter Senshi intercepted it with both arms. Turning, she yanked on the massive forearm, attempting to slam the huge Senshi over her shoulder with a Judo throw.

"You can't budge me without your full powers," Hera laughed as she not only didn't move but she raised her arm up, lifting up Lita off the ground completely! Lita gasped. She was a big girl by Japanese standards. Certainly no one but the strongest men had been able to pick her up before. And certainly not with one arm!

"I'm beginning to get the idea," Lita commented, releasing the arm and somersaulting away. She took out her Henshin Stick.

"JUPITER PLANET POWER!"

Lightning bolts seemed to jump from tree to tree as Sailor Jupiter transformed and charged in. Hercules threw a punch, but that fist was ducked by Jupiter, who built up a ball of thunder and aimed it at the giantess' midsection. The blow knocked Sailor Nova Hercules backward. She kept her feet, but left two deep skid marks in the concrete tiles.

"Scary…" Lita ran over to Katsie, who was struggling to all fours. "Hey, you alright?"

"I think she broke something," Katsie wheezed. "Either that or I can't take hits very well."

"I think the tree got the worst of it," Lita felt her anger rise. "Just relax. I'll have this mammoth horizontal in no time."

Hercules gathered her fists together and slammed them into the ground. A fissure opened up and raced along the concrete, pulverizing the square tiles even further as it raced toward Jupiter. Lita grabbed Katsie and leaped aside, setting her down near the Well.

"How dare you strike her so hard? Don't you know we're not as strong in Human form!" Sailor Jupiter charged in with a flying kick.

Instead of dodging the attack, Hercules grabbed her boot and twisted it around. Lita had no choice. She either could roll with the twist or have her foot twisted clean off. She spun, braced herself when she hit the ground, then swung her other boot around at her opponent's face.

Sailor Nova Hercules got the hit instead in the shoulder. It was like kicking iron! Lita cursed and flipped away to get her bearings. She was too tall to hit with her boot from the ground.

"You're tough," Jupiter conceded. "I'll have to soften you up first." She felt her tiara's lightning rod jut up from her hairline. The sky darkened overhead. "Try this! Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Hera grinned and set her legs in a wide stance. She was opting to take the blow. Jupiter called up more lightning than she'd called upon in more than a year and funneled it straight at the Senshi Giant. At the last second the huge Senshi raised her right leg, stomped it hard on the pavement and forced a large chunk of the ground to rise up and absorb the lightning blast!

"Damn!" Sailor Jupiter concentrated, trying to summon more electricity.

Hercules picked up a basketball sized chunk of concrete and chucked it one-handed at Jupiter. Lita dodged, but the throw broke her concentration just enough to allow the Nova Senshi to close the distance and drive her shoulder into her opponent. Sailor Jupiter's very teeth were jarred in her skull and she sailed backward, coming to a stop only when she crashed into a stone statue. The force of her body crashing into the statue caused it to crack and fall apart.

"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"

Hercules turned just in time to catch the fire arrow in the chest. The arrow burst into flames and engulfed her body in fire.

Katsie had transformed into Sailor Mars. She drew a Sutra from her uniform and leaped toward the giantess. Never tried this on a Senshi before, but let's see if I can't seal away at least a portion of her powers!

Judging from her reaction, it might have worked. Sailor Nova Hercules recovered and caught the wrist belonging to the hand holding the Sutra. Still burning in several places from the flames, she jammed her left fist into Katsie's Solar Plexus! Sailor Mars coughed as her breath left her body. She was too dazed to react as Hercules threw her over head like a rag-doll and slammed her bodily into the ground.

"LEAVE HER ALONE! SHE WAS ALREADY INJURED!" Sailor Jupiter drove in from above with her fists joined together. She landed a Double-axe Hammer Blow on the crown of the Nova Senshi's head, buckling even the giantess' powerful knees! She followed up with an uppercut to the nose and a finishing dropkick.

Sailor Nova Hercules' feet finally left the Earth as she was sent crashing through the nearby Prayer Tree and through the side of the stone table near the back of the property.

Chad ran around the corner all of a sudden. He'd heard the commotion even over his music. He gaped at the sight of three Senshi in his backyard.

"Wha-wha-WHAT THE HELL!" he exclaimed. "Not again! Who's invading Earth this time!"

"Chad! Get Sailor Mars out of here!" Lita picked up Katsie's unconscious body and tossed her to the young Temple Acolyte. She ran directly at Sailor Nova Hercules, who was busy getting back to her feet. "No way I'm letting you recover! HYAAA!"

Jupiter's boot was aimed directly at the giantess' head. Hercules was already recovered, however, and she caught the boot in mid-swing. This time instead of twisting, She grabbed Lita's entire leg, swung her overhead and slammed her to the ground just like Sailor Mars.

Jupiter felt the ground cave in slightly from the impact and her body definitely took exception to that one as her nerves were telling her right now. Hercules didn't allow her to get back up, however. She folded her elbow and collapsed, driving it deep into Lita's midsection with the force of her entire muscled body behind it!

Now it was Lita's turn to lose her breath. She had always had good abs, but they couldn't hold up to this kind of onslaught. She felt like a Semi had just plowed into her stomach!

Sailor Nova Hercules was not done. She lifted Sailor Jupiter up and flipped her, Body-slamming her again into a fresh stretch of ground. Again the ground buckled and cracked all around her body. The fight went out of Jupiter's body with that blow. She laid there, dazed. Part of her suddenly felt dreamy as she gazed up at her foe.

"Stay down," Hercules said quietly to her.

Those words lit her determination like an incendiary device! Lita felt her anger rise and overwhelm her blaring nerves. She struggled to get to her feet and punched the giantess squarely in the center of the chest. But her strength was weakened and the Senshi's vast pectoral muscles absorbed the blow with little more than a grunt.

"I don't want to hurt you," Sailor Nova Hercules grabbed her by the throat.

"Screw you!" Jupiter gasped, trying to break the hold by Karate-chopping Hercules' thick wrist.

"Very well," Hercules lifted Sailor Jupiter clean off her feet and raised her arm high over her head. Being held aloft seven feet in the air was slightly disorienting to Lita. She wrapped her legs around Hera's shoulder to try and keep what she knew was coming next from happening. Sailor Nova Hercules adjusted and instead of Choke-slamming her, she simply let her whole huge body collapse and fall to the pavement with Lita squashed underneath her.

Again she lost all her wind when she was slammed to the pavement. I don't know how much more I can take, she thought.

"Come back here," the giantess was suddenly on her feet and running toward Chad, who was trying to make off with Sailor Mars' prone body. His escape was cut off by the wall of muscle and he yelped as Hercules grabbed Mars from his grasp.

Chad picked up his rake and swung it at her head in self-defense. It was a brave move, but the rake merely snapped in two over her head and didn't even make her wince.

Sailor Nova Hercules smiled at him. "Very brave," she said, before flicking his nose hard enough to knock him out. Chad's head snapped back and he fell limply to the ground.

Sailor Jupiter was incensed once again and she again climbed to her feet, even though it felt like climbing a mountain just to get on two legs. Her body wanted to give out on her. She wouldn't let it. Blood was pouring from her mouth and her head was pounding. Her lungs burned from being knocked windless twice inside of five minutes.

Hera looked the Jupiter Senshi over and shook her head. "Just lay down. You're no match for me now."

"L-let me… be the… judge of that…" Lita raised her hand. "Jupiter… Oak… Evol- UHHHH!" She was cut off as Hercules drove a massive knee into her stomach, cutting off her airflow for a record third time. She then finished her off with a hearty Headbutt to the bridge of the nose.

Lita stood shakily for a moment longer, wobbling on her legs like a punch-drunk Boxer. She reached up and weakly grabbed at Hercules' collar. "Y-you…h-hit… harder than… D-Dark… Mer…cur….yyyy……." she trailed off as she fell limply into the giantess' other arm.

"Sailor Nova Hercules here," Hercules lifted both Senshi up, one on each shoulder. "Three to transport at these coordinates." She sighed. "Sorry about this…"

A bright beam of light shot down from above and transported the Nova Senshi away with her cargo of two, leaving the remains of the yard behind the Hikawa Shrine pocked, pitted and silent as a graveyard.

TO BE CONTINUED...

CHAPTER FIVE: AND THEN THERE WAS ONE!


	6. And then there was one

CHAPTER FIVE: AND THEN THERE WAS ONE!

When the fluid drained out of the cylinder that Sailor Venus had been floating in for about an hour, she felt good. Better than good at that. Whatever burns and cuts she'd suffered in that explosion were gone. She didn't even ache.

The cylinder walls lifted up and just like that she was free. Venus looked around to see three Senshi standing before her. Two of them she recognized. One of them she didn't.

Sailor Galaxia stepped forward. "Welcome to the 'Colossus', Sailor Venus," she greeted. "I trust your regeneration went well?"

"Amy?" Mina stepped off the platform, not really noting the fact that she was naked as the day she was born. "Is that really you? What are you doing here? And is that your new look? I heard you found a new power from Serena, but…"

"It's good to see you again, Mina," Amy held up a towel and helpfully wrapped it around her friend. "I got brought here just like you did. It was a rather rough welcoming party, but they don't mean us any harm. I'll explain later the best way that I can. And incidentally, yes. This is my new uniform."

"What a day," Mina finished tying off the towel. "Mercury and I got beat pretty bad by that Nova Senshi. I thought I was dead for a second, then I woke up in that tank."

"Your injuries were superficial only," offered the third Senshi. She was short and very brightly colored. "Our Regen-Cylinders are the best in the Galaxy. They should have healed more than just your recent injuries if you had any before."

"Well… Now that you mention it I did have this crick in my neck…" Mina rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "Who are you?"

"Sailor Rainbow Prism," the new Senshi bowed. "Ambassador of Kinmoku and official representative of the Senshi Race. I'm the one who 'captured' Sailor Celestia. In very much the same way you were captured. As you've no doubt guessed, however, this is not to be entirely against your will. Our fighters were sent out with the express purpose of collecting you in this way."

"Seems like a highly unusual form of diplomacy," Venus turned to Amy. "But if you're okay with this I'm guessing there's a deeper plot than what appears on the surface?"

"You'll understand more when Galaxia tells all of us what she wants to tell us. In the meantime they've made me the official representative of you guys. I kind of volunteered. I'm just here to make sure no one jumps to any bad conclusions considering how they were brought here."

"Well I dunno," Venus looked around. "I guess I just figured if someone would go through the trouble of healing me like that they wouldn't really be my enemy. But I see what you mean. Knowing Jupiter and Uranus especially there might be some fireworks later. Speaking of the others, where are they?"

"Right behind you," Prism gestured to the other cylinders still closed. "Mercury sustained slightly worse injuries than you did. She'll take a few more minutes before she's done. The others arrived more recently and will be in the tanks for another fifteen minutes to an hour apiece."

At that moment Sailor Nova Hercules walked in with Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter slung over her shoulder. Two Senshi Doctors walked over and gently took her captives away from her to take them over to two empty Cylinders. All in all there were ten Regen-Cylinders in the room.

"Good lord!" Venus looked at the giant Senshi. "She's… sh-sh-shes'…"

"I know," Prism shrugged. "Not her fault, really. When her Senshi powers manifested they acted internally upon her body. Instead of gaining the usual energy powers it all went to her muscles. She's a little self-conscious about it, even though she excels at physical combat."

"She'd have to be to KO Jupiter," Venus whistled. "Sorry. Just a little shock to the system. I guess there are all kinds of Senshi."

"They look a bit worse for wear. Better keep these two in for seventy minutes, Lilutian," Prism said to one of the Senshi Medics.

The Senshi with purple hair and a white Nurse's outfit on bowed and placed Sailor Jupiter's body into a cylinder and it began to fill with fluid once the walls came down. An oxygen mask came down over her face to keep her from drowning in the fluid.

Sailor Nova Hercules looked abashed. "I tried to be easy on her," she said in a quiet, introverted voice. "But the Jupiter Senshi kept getting up."

Mina was a little taken by the giantess' apparent shyness. It reminded her of a movie she saw once about a gentle giant. "Don't worry about it. Sailor Jupiter's taken some good licks in her life. She'll feel like a million bucks when she gets out anyway, right?"

Amy nodded, smiling. "That's the spirit. Are you hungry? The food on this ship is surprisingly good although it looks rather strange."

"Alien food, huh? Well, why not. I guess I am a little hungry," Mina agreed. "Lead the way."

Sssss

"Ohhhhh… Just look at them, Darien!" Serena gushed as she bent down to look at the collection of newborn Puppies in the Petshop. "Aren't they just adorable!"

"Sure they're cute and all…" Darien sweat-dropped. "But don't you think we should get back to what we really came down here for?"

The two of them were at the Juban Mall shopping for a new Calculator for Serena to use in her College Calculus class. The one she had before was a hand-me-down from Elementary School and couldn't perform any functions higher than Division. Serena, of course, hated Calculus. Her marks were none too impressive either. Darien had taken the class before with her very Professor, so he helped her as best she could.

Serena bounced over to the cage containing the Kittens and he sighed heavily. If only Serena Tsukino had an attention span greater than five consecutive minutes…

"Hey! Darien! This one looks just like Luna! Come look!" Serena called to him.

Darien walked over and put his hand down on top of her head like he was going to squeeze it. "Hey, dumpling head," he said. "We're not down here to have fun today, and we're certainly not buying any pets. May I remind you that you have a Calculus Midterm coming up and if you don't get a grade of better than a B+ you might as well not finish the course?"

Serena's face fell. "I hate Calculus," she whined plaintively. "I didn't think there was anything harder than Algebra and I nearly failed that one too. Why do I have to take these stupid classes?"

"Because your major is Civil Service," Darien bent down to her level. "You wanted this major, remember? You said a Government job would help you gain experience toward ruling the world as Queen, and I agree. The trouble is you have a record-setting case of ADD and if I don't keep an eye on you you'll fall back to the way you used to be in High School."

"Can't you just rule the world for me while I simply be adored by my millions of fans?" Serena batted her eyelashes at him.

I somehow get the feeling that's how it's going to turn out anyway, Darien thought gloomily. "They're called followers, not fans, Serena. And this is as much for your own good as it is the entire world's. I'm not going to let you slack off. Remember, you can't marry me until you're out of college. And that's not even my rule."

"Right…" Serena hung her head. Her dumb old Father had come up with that stipulation. It seemed everyone was out to get her lately.

"So let's get going. We're burning daylight and we still have to study when we get home," Darien gently grabbed her hand and walked with her out of the Petshop.

Serena leaned against his arm. "Darien, do you still love me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Darien replied.

"Even though I'm an airhead?" she sniffed.

"You're not an airhead. You've got oodles of good qualities. You're not stupid, just lazy and a bit inattentive when you need to be," said Darien.

Serena sighed. "I knew it. There must be something wrong with me if I can't change the way I am."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… Here I am spending a day trying to improve my college grades and all I can think of when I'm with you is anything but that," Serena mumbled. "I made a promise last year to really buckle down and I can't seem to focus. Do I have brain damage or something?"

"Don't be silly. You're just you," Darien said. "At least you recognize the problem. That's a sure sign that you're growing up."

Serena stopped and looked a poster in the window of a video store. It was a picture of herself as Sailor Moon with her friends behind her striking poses. The advertisement read: "Sailor Moon vs. The Armies of Darkness! A new RPG from the makers of 'Silent Red', featuring Tokyo's most powerful girl heroes! Coming in October. Reserve a copy now!"

"You know… When I'm Sailor Moon, I know what I have to do," Serena said, gazing at herself. "My problems are right there in front of me and I can always manage to beat them. I never thought I'd say this, but my problems as a Senshi seem somehow… simpler."

"Well I will tell you for certain that as Sailor Moon your best traits shine through," said Darien. "But don't be in too much of a hurry to change who you are. Soon you'll come to realize that some things are just impossible."

He began to walk onward and Serena narrowed her eyes as she mulled that last sentence over in her head. Somehow that sounded a little bit derogatory.

"You're kidding I hope," she said, catching up to him.

Darien rolled his eyes and grinned. "Seriously though, that's what I'm here for. The very first moment I fell for you I knew that my job would be to always back you up and get you out of trouble. After all, am I not Tuxedo Mask? It's my job."

"Well that's true, darling, but don't you get tired of it sometimes?" Serena blushed.

"Only at times when I think it's something you yourself can overcome. Like now for instance. You think we can get to the Electronics Store and back to our apartment without any more distractions?"

"I swear upon the Moon!" Serena declared, raising her hand in the air. Her loud voice caused several people to look their way and Serena giggled nervously, waving them off. Darien simply shook his head and continued on.

Serena began moving again to catch up once more when a voice to her left stopped her in her tracks.

"Free Palm-readings," said a woman with bright red hair that spilled out of the sides of a hooded, purple robe. Her eyes were hidden in shadow. "Come here and see if your future is truly what you have in store. Some things you might be planning on may not come to pass. Are there palaces of crystal and clouds in your future, young lady?"

Her words seemed to give Serena pause and she gravitated over toward the table. The woman had a set of Tarot Cards in front of her, but they were unlike any Tarots she'd ever seen. Serena picked one up and looked at it. There was a painting of a blonde woman with a Princess gown on, with twin odango-style pigtails, standing on a palisade in front of a Crescent Moon. Serena might not be the brightest girl in the world, but she recognized the image. It was one she'd seen a thousand times before in her thoughts and dreams.

"Where did you get this card? Did you make this?" Serena flipped the tarot around to show the lady.

"Do you like it? She's our universal symbol of peace and love," said the lady in the cloak. "You should feel honored that your family is still so recognized and revered. You come from legendary stock, Moon Princess."

"Who are you?" Serena whispered suspiciously. "How do you know who I really am?"

"Everyone who wears the garb of a Senshi knows who you are, Sailor Moon," the woman placed more tarot cards on the table face down. "And not simply because of your fine accomplishments, which are considerable. Your Mother, Grandmother, and several generations before them also were Senshi of great standing."

Serena's heart pounded. "What do you know about my Mother?"

"I met her once. A most gentle person," the woman looked at Serena. Her amber eyes finally became visible. "You and she are just about identical. You two have the same kindness and regard for honor reflected within your eyes."

"Hey! Serena!" Darien walked up to her again and put a hand around the back of her neck in a pretense of strangulation. "What did you just promise me not one minute ago?"

"This woman knows me, Darien!" Serena pointed.

"What woman?" asked Darien.

Serena growled. "Right there! Are you bli…." she cut herself off as she saw the woman was now gone. "Well now where is she?" she grumbled.

"Are you feeling okay?" Darien put a hand on her forehead.

Suddenly Serena's Cell Phone began to bleep out a song. She reached into her purse and opened it up. "Hello?"

"If you wish to speak further about your family. Come to the top of Tokyo Tower. I will wait for you there. Alone," said the woman's voice on the other side.

"Wait, I!" Click. A dial tone was her only indication that the conversation was over. For now at least.

"Seriously, you alright?" Darien leaned down.

"Darien… I… I need to go," she stammered.

"What?"

"I need to go someplace right now," Serena stepped back. "I'm sorry, but I have to go alone. There's something that I need to know."

Her eyes were serious, something that only happened once in a great while. Darien reached out for her hand. "What is it? Tell me."

"I promise I'll tell you later," Serena broke into a run in the other direction. "I promise!" she shouted back.

"Serena!" Darien took off to run after her, but accidentally knocked over a couple. By the time he apologized to them and helped them up, Serena was out of sight.

"Well that's weird. She's never outran me before," Darien thought out loud. Where could she be suddenly going? What was that phone call about? Something felt out of place and he ran up the street, carefully searching the milling crowd for Serena's face and hairstyle.

Sssss

Tokyo Tower was closed after sunset on Sundays. Serena, however, was not too surprised to find the elevator still conveniently worked. All the lights in the tower were lit like the world's biggest Christmas Tree.

The ride up the elevator seemed to take forever before it spat her out onto the main Observatory Deck. She wondered if she should transform, and her left hand clutched at her brooch which she carried in her purse at her side. She was glad she hadn't left it behind.

"Thank you for coming alone. Prince Darien must not be involved in this," the woman stepped out of the shadows and met her halfway between the elevator and the windows. Her cloak was gone. She was dressed in a red and white Senshi outfit that came halfway up the back of her head, completely covered her shoulders, and went halfway down her arms. Her boots were knee high and her gloves only covered her hands, nothing else. Over her yellow eyes was an orange visor similar to the one Sailor Mercury used on occasion. Her hair was tied back in a French braid. Her lengthy bangs kept at bay by her tiara, another universal Senshi feature it seemed.

"It's you," Serena pointed dumbly. "I remember you… um… hold on a sec… don't tell me…"

"I am Sailor Nova Proxima," the Senshi smiled. "I am not offended you forgot my name. We only met once and briefly at that. My only function was to give you Sailor Starfighter's last request."

"That's why I remember at all," Serena scratched her head nervously and looked away. "I've got a bad memory for people's names, but I never forget a face at least."

"I'm so glad you're eager to find out about your past," Proxima said. "But tell me how it is your familiars have not told you more about the Moon Kingdom and Kinmoku?"

"You mean Luna and Artemis? They really only tell us things when the situation calls for it," Serena replied. "Just like Sailor Pluto really. It's like they don't want us to know very much."

"That's a common sentiment among family members to their children," Proxima shrugged. "They look upon you as a daughter perhaps in a way. They were, after all, charged with your awakening and your emergence as a Senshi. I think perhaps they wanted to protect you from the past in a sense. But it could be you simply haven't asked the right questions."

Serena looked down at her feet. "Actually, now that you mention it, I don't really ask at all."

"The past is a tricky thing, Serenity," Nova Proxima walked to the window and looked out. "Always full of fond memories, but sometimes it can be painful too. You must know the rest of the story, Serena. It's not good that Senshi millions of light years away know more about the Silver Millennium than you do, don't you think?"

"What do you know?" Serena asked. "Tell me everything."

"Unfortunately that is not my place. As much as I would like to," Proxima apologized. "I'm to take you to the woman who can. I'm really supposed to take you by force, but… I can't fight you. You have too sweet an aura for me to raise my hand against. So I will ask you to come with me to Kinmoku."

"Kinmoku?" Serena was taken aback. "That's…"

"Galaxia's world. A world where all Senshi come from. The Serenity line is no exception," explained Proxima.

"How long would I be gone?"

"Not long," Proxy smiled again. "A matter of days. I'm supposed to tell you that you don't have a choice, but in point of fact you do. You're the key to this whole thing, Princess. If you refuse you'll probably get a visit from Galaxia herself. She's a very stubborn woman, but she has your best interests at heart. I think once you listen to what she has to say you won't want to refuse."

"I want to know," Serena decided. "I want to know everything. The good and the bad. But why do I need to go to Kinmoku?"

"Well, this isn't entirely educational. We have a big celebration about to start and you're invited. I guarantee you'll love it there. Think of Tokyo, only several thousand times bigger and on your New Year's Eve celebration for three consecutive days."

"That's a hell of a comparison," Serena said. "What about my friends and family?"

"Your Senshi friends are already on board ship, waiting for you," Proxima replied. "As to your family, unfortunately non-Senshi are not allowed on Kinmoku, particularly men."

"No men allowed?" Serena scratched her cheek. "Not even Darien?"

"Especially not Darien," Proxima laughed. "He'd have every Senshi on that world trying to grab him. Nice catch, by the way. A Kamen like him is every Senshi's dream."

Serena blushed. "Hey… he's mine, okay?" she laughed.

"And that's why he has to stay here," Proxima said. "The law is the law. Senshi are an entirely feminine Race of people. Our efficiency is maintained by our strict adherence to relative celibacy. I say 'relative' because we still find ways to love others, but it was decided long before even my time that men on Kinmoku would only cloud our mission with hormones."

"Wow. No offense, but I'm glad I live on Earth," said Serena.

"If you were born on Kinmoku, perhaps you'd have turned out differently," Proxima said. "But Earth is a fine place. A most beautiful world I must add. A world truly worth your protection."

"Darien will be worried if I agree to go," Serena said. "He's probably looking for me all over the city right now."

"All will be made clear to him, don't you worry," Proxima said. "And your world will be in good hands while you're gone too. Please say yes."

"Do you have a raise riding on my decision or something?" Serena joked.

"Raise?" Proxy cocked her head curiously.

"Nothing, forget it," Serena went back to the window and looked down for a lengthy time at Tokyo. The city lights were simply gorgeous from this far up. She wondered how Kinmoku would look. Would it be like Earth? Better? Bigger? She found she wanted to see it for herself suddenly. Why not agree to go along? "Wait a second! I have a Calculus and other classes to catch up on!" she exclaimed.

"It's only a few days," Proxima sounded concerned. "And don't you have a weekend coming up?"

Serena smirked. "Hey. You're right. How do you know what a weekend is? You're from another world."

"A weekend is a weekend, no matter where you're from, silly," Proxima said with a chuckle. "So will you come with me? Pretty please?"

"You sound like me when I really, really want something," Serena laughed. "Of course I'll come. If my friends are already there, how can I say no and miss out?"

"That's the spirit!" Proxima clasped her shoulder. "I'm so glad I was able to talk you into this instead of fighting you."

"What?" Serena asked, wondering if she heard that right.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter," Proxy raised her communicator. "Two to teleport at these coordinates. I've got the Moon Princess."

Before Serena could say another word a bright beam came down and blinded her.

When she opened her eyes she was on board a gigantic ship…

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT...CHAPTER SIX: GALAXIA'S INVITATION


	7. Galaxia's invitation

CHAPTER SIX: GALAXIA'S INVITATION

Galaxia stared down at the blue sphere that represented Planet Earth. She never just looked at it before. Such a beautiful world it was. Those humans down on the surface had no idea just how lucky they were to be raised on such a perfect Planet. It was almost the equal of Kinmoku itself. It was no wonder Serenity chose this place above all others.

She was aware of a presence behind her. It was one of her aides: Sailor Corona. "You have a report, Corona?" Galaxia asked her.

Corona bowed her head. "Senshi Prime, we have our report from the Nova Senshi. All targets have been acquired."

"Excellent," Galaxia purred.

"All except for Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. Sailor Nova Orion has gone against orders and engaged the two Senshi openly planet side." Corona handed her a data sheet. "They are fighting in what appears to be a junkyard practically in the center of Tokyo. Energy readings match theirs perfectly. Orion is creating quite a ruckus with her powers."

Galaxia took a cursory glance at the sheet, then handed it back to her aide. "The fool," she sighed. "I told them to apprehend in relative isolation and not attract attention. At this rate she'll invite their News services to swoop in and tape the whole affair. I don't want these Earthlings to become aware of Kinmoku."

"What should we do, Senshi Prime?" Corona asked.

"I'll take care of this personally," said Galaxia. "Sailor Nova Proxima tends to be rather light-handed in the discipline of her teammates. Orion is a fool who needs to be reigned in far too often for my tastes. Sailor Jade Fire, you have the bridge."

"Of course, Senshi Prime," the 'Colossus' Captain bowed. Galaxia teleported off the ship in a flash of white light.

sssss

"Uranus World Shaking!" Sailor Uranus formed a ball of yellow energy in her fist and sent it traveling through the ground. The seismic shock caused the ground to crumble underfoot, but Sailor Nova Orion was already airborne.

"Nova Deadly Flare!" A wave of pure heat shot forth from her outstretched hands and burned everything in its path. Uranus barely sidestepped the attack as a gutted out car behind her ignited from the heat blast.

Sailor Neptune concentrated and caused the moisture in the air to condense into rain. The fires were sending up smoke into the air for others outside the junkyard to see and that was unacceptable. The last thing they needed was the media or law enforcement getting in the way of things. She let the water droplets quickly fall and douse the flames.

"You are careless!" Uranus shouted to Orion. "You have no clue how much damage you're doing. And this battle is sure to attract attention sooner or later!"

"If you weren't so stubborn and would just stop moving around so much I could have made short work of you by now," Orion replied.

"Keep a reign on your powers!" Neptune cried. "We're in the middle of a vast city!"

"You want me to stop? Just hold still and I'll make this short," Orion appeared fired up and far too high-strung to stop attacking. She looked battle-drunk.

Sailor Uranus shook her head. "It's no use. She's completely immersed in adrenaline. We have to take her down."

"The Nova Senshi seemed like such responsible people to me the last time we saw them," Neptune was perplexed. "They were such a great help to us, why now are they trying to capture us?"

"I don't know, but if you don't want to find out then work with me here." Sailor Uranus pushed Neptune away as a gout of flame carved a ditch in the ground.

"Neptune Deep Submerge!" Sailor Neptune threw a ball of water directly at Nova Orion. She blasted it out of existence with her fire powers, vaporizing the water into steam, but while she was busy, Uranus flew around behind her and drove straight in with both fists blazing with energy.

She connected with the back of Orion's head. Orion fell from her position in the sky and fell to the junkyard floor. Now that she was in free-fall, Neptune leaped off a stack of junked automobiles and fired another burst of water that slammed her into another pile, causing an avalanche of twisted metal. There was no disguising the cloud of dust that rose from the wreckage. If nobody in Tokyo noticed the cloud or the noise it would be a miracle.

"Very subtle," Uranus murmured sarcastically to Neptune as she landed beside her again.

"Do you want to be next, dear?" Neptune sniped back.

"No thanks, I had my shower today."

There was a rumble, then an explosion. The cars blew apart and Orion climbed up out of the pile. She didn't look very pleased.

"You're good, I'll give you that," she growled. "Ya'll gonna make me crank it up another notch!"

"She's crazy," Uranus said as she and Neptune braced for a counterattack; an attack that never came. Galaxia suddenly appeared out of nowhere and landed directly between them. She faced Orion with her arms across her chest. Her glare could have withered a flower.

"WHAT… DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" She roared. "PUT THAT THING AWAY!"

Orion was cowed into submission from the verbal lashing. She powered down and knelt on one knee. Her head bowed.

"Do you want to attract the attention of every mortal on this Planet?" Galaxia continued. "You are a trained professional, yet you abused your mission poorly! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"They were giving me a hard time!" Orion retorted defensively. "My mission was to take them by force, right? But they were better than I expected."

"Most of your comrades coped rather well in their own missions," Galaxia silenced her with a chopping motion. "They managed to take the other Senshi quietly! You _will _be severely punished for causing this ruckus!"

Nova Orion bowed her head. "I understand," she said quietly.

"Return to the ship, fool!" Galaxia said, returning to face the other two Senshi.

Neptune and Uranus didn't know quite how to take this all in. Their conversation was very blunt in mentioning some kind of capturing mission of their friends. There was no veiling the truth or anything. And Galaxia was behind this? Had she been possessed by some evil force again?

"What a bother," said Galaxia after Orion teleported away. She turned toward Uranus and Neptune. "I must apologize. That Senshi can be very hot-headed. Her enthusiasm in battle borders on the bloodthirsty I'm afraid. I never intended things to go this far."

"What in blazes is going on!" Uranus demanded. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Uranus, calm down," Neptune gripped her arm.

"A test, to be honest," Galaxia admitted. "I sent the Nova Senshi to Earth to test all of you in combat with various confrontations, whose ultimate goal was to capture each and every one of you. The Novae had specific directions not to cause casualties or excessive damage, nor to attract attention from the native Humans. Your well being, of course, was also taken into account."

"A test? Really…" Uranus was understandably skeptical. "For what practical purpose could you have to come here unannounced and do something like this?"

"You're right to be angry. I would be similarly inclined were the situation reversed. However, I meant you no harm. How would you like to come with me and I'll explain everything to you on board my ship?" Galaxia suggested.

"We'll pass," said Uranus.

"What if I told you your friends were already on board? They're all waiting for you two."

Neptune blinked. "Everyone? Why?"

"I could explain it here, but I do hate to repeat myself," Galaxia replied. "You can choose to come along or not, but you stand to miss out on something extremely important. Also, if you choose to stay, you won't know for certain if your friends are truly alright or not. Would you abandon them just to spite me?"

Uranus had her narrowed eyes focused suspiciously on Galaxia. Her words were infuriatingly true. "Something about this still seems fishy. But I'll go along just to make sure my friends are alright, then you owe us a very convincing explanation. And just you remember one thing… We have _zero_ tolerance for betrayal!"

"I completely understand," Galaxia smiled. "I'm confident you'll like what I have to say… Sailor Jade Fire. Teleport three at the following coordinates immediately."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Neptune whispered.

"If she wanted to take us out she could easily do so herself," Uranus said bitterly. "Don't you remember the last time we went toe to toe with her? I'm just going to make sure the others are alright. If they're hurt, I don't care who she is, I'll mop the deck with her and her minions."

"You'll need plenty of water to mop the deck, my love," Neptune pecked her on the cheek. "Where you go, I go."

Just then a beam of light shot out of the sky and swept them up to the waiting 'Colossus' in orbit overhead.

sssss

The Sailor Scouts were reunited inside the Starship.

By the time Sailor Moon got there, everyone except Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were collected in a large comfortable Stateroom that made luxury liners look like slums in comparison.

"Guys!" Sailor Moon said in relief. "You _are _alright! Thank goodness they kept their promise!"

"Yeah, nothing hurt more than our pride," Sailor Jupiter replied coldly. "What about you? How is it you get to come along quietly while the rest of us get our butts handed to us?"

Sailor Moon was taken aback. "You mean... you already knew?"

Sailor Pluto stirred. "They've kept us updated while we were waiting for the rest to arrive. Galaxia herself told us that this was no more than a test. She then let us keep our powers and allowed us to congregate in this room."

"Whatever her intentions, she doesn't want us as prisoners," Sailor Mars agreed. "The only thing she wouldn't tell us is what she wanted us for."

"I'm sure we'll get the answers as soon as the last two members of our team arrive," said Pluto distantly.

Sailor Jupiter, Pluto and Mercury looked frustrated at the nature of their capture. Venus, Mars, Saturn and of course Sailor Moon were a bit more open to the idea that this was nothing overly harmful.

"I want a rematch," Jupiter griped to Venus.

"Are you still dwelling on that? I saw the woman who carried you in. You're lucky you didn't need a pine box. She was built like… well, like a _Tank_." Venus replied.

"Why does she get to negotiate?" Lita looked over at Serena. "Why did all of us have to get beaten to a pulp and she gets an invitation?"

"Lita, calm down," Sailor Venus said. "We were all taken by surprise. The fact that Sailor Moon negotiated her way aboard rather than getting taken the hard way should be seen as an improvement of her usual performance, right?"

Sailor Jupiter relaxed a little and turned to look out the window at Space. "I suppose…"

"So what happened to each of you?" Sailor Moon asked everyone.

They all explained how they fell into the traps set up by the Nova Senshi. Each tale was unique. She was somewhat disappointed that no one had won their confrontations. Were the Nova Senshi really that good? Or was it simply her team was that inexperienced?

"Another of us also got taken," said Sailor Venus. "Look over in the corner, Serena."

Sailor Moon looked in the direction Venus pointed in. Her heart caught in her throat for a second as she recognized the blue-haired girl in the blue and white Senshi outfit that was similar to hers in some ways. She'd heard about the new uniform and powers, but seeing it was still a pleasant shock.

"Amy?" Sailor Moon whispered. "Amy is that you!"

Amy turned her head and looked at her with her most genuine smile since before Dark Mercury. "Yes, Serena. It's me. It is good to see you again under the circumstances."

"Look at you!" Serena practically flew into Amy's arms and the two of them shed tears at their first reunion in just about a year. "It's so good to see you again!"

"I thought this would be happening at the Airport tomorrow," Amy giggled. "Hard to believe how quickly plans change."

"I'll have to thank Galaxia for getting you to us quicker," she looked her friend up and down. "So… Sailor Celestia is it?"

"Yes. I have so much to tell you, Serena. So much has happened."

"What about the other three you mentioned?" asked Serena. "And how's Robert?"

"I was told the four of them are going to stay behind," Amy shrugged. "Some kind of pre-arranged commitment with Galaxia. They're going to protect the Earth while we're gone. It's unlikely anything will happen in the few days we're away anyhow."

"What a shame. But I guess I'll see them next week," Serena sighed.

"Hey! There they are!" Mina exclaimed as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune walked into the room. Galaxia was directly behind them.

Hotaru jumped up and hugged Michelle. "Oh I'm so glad you're alright," she said. "Some of us got hurt a little fighting those Nova Senshi."

Amara and Michelle exchanged glances. It appeared everyone was indeed alright and in relatively bright spirits. So Galaxia was telling the truth after all.

"Welcome, Sailor Scouts of Earth," Galaxia bowed. "I assume all of you are wondering why you are here. Let me first tell you why you were all taken so violently. You see,I wanted totest your abilities and your combat awareness. It was also a test of how you would adapt to surprises."

Mina raised her hand like a classroom student. "Um... I'm pretty sure I know the answer already, but... did we pass?"

Galaxia smiled in amusement. "It wasn't a test where the subjects passed or failed. Mine was a study of readiness and overall skill. I was merely using the test for my own information. Some of you performed better than others obviously. Sailor Moon, for example, was able to find common ground with her attacker and came aboard peacefully. Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus were alert enough to not be surprised by my agent, and not only avoided an ambush, but held their own against a more powerful opponent. Sailor Jupiter surprised her attacker with her tenacity even against overwhelming odds."

"Stop it. I got my butt kicked, you don't need to rub salt on the wound," Jupiter muttered.

Galaxia arched her eyebrows as she made eye contact with Lita. "I'm sorry if I hurt your pride, Sailor Jupiter, but do you really think your enemies would have cared had they the means to take you out so easily? Like I said, the test wasn't for you, so much as it was for my observation, and of course for another purpose. The very reason I have gathered you all here."

The other Senshi sat forward in rapt attention. "Is there some kind of trouble?" asked Sailor Pluto.

"Not at all," Galaxia waved the question away. "Thanks in part to you girls there is relative peace in this Galaxy for the first time in ages. What I'm talking about has nothing to do with danger. I'm extending an invitation to you girls."

"An invitation?" Sailor Saturn asked.

"Yes. I want all of you to accompany me to Kinmoku."

There was a collective gasp. "Kinmoku? But isn't that your home world?" asked Mars.

"The very same," Galaxia was smiling broadly now. "In just a few days all of Senshidom will be united in celebration. The celebration of our one billionth anniversary of the rise of the Senshi civilization!"

"One _billion_!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "As in _one billion years?_!"

"Yes," replied Galaxia, pleased with the reaction she was getting. "For one billion years, the Senshi have been protecting the Universe from the forces of evil. In just a few days, on Kinmoku itself, home of our civilization, we will come together to honor our history and celebrate the first true era of peace we have experienced in many, many years. It is a celebration that we hold every thousand years or so, but this one is especially grand considering the anniversary it falls upon. Senshi from across the cosmos will participate in it, and there is a demand by some quarters to see you there as well."

"Why us?" asked Sailor Neptune.

"Because you girls have earned it. Your accomplishments are, whether you're aware of it or not, quite constantly observed by other worlds. Since our little run-in six years ago, I too have paid attention. There are those who are quite amazed at your feats against such powerful enemies as the Dark Kingdom, Pharaoh 90, and of course especially against Chaos and myself. It is only fitting, and I agree with this assessment, that you deserve a place at the celebration."

The excitement was palpable. Most of the Senshi chattered excitedly to themselves.

"Wow! To go to another Planet!" Sailor Venus bubbled.

"Not just any world, the home Planet of the Senshi!" Sailor Mars piped in.

"One billion years!" Sailor Moon still had trouble grasping the number. "How many zeroes is that again?"

"This will be the chance of a lifetime... No! A _thousand _lifetimes!" Sailor Mercury exulted.

Neptune and Uranus were both rather surprised at this invitation, though they appeared more neutral than the younger girls. Sailor Pluto was the only one who appeared none too thrilled with this plan.

"I don't know what to say, Galaxia," Pluto spoke. "This is definitely a change of heart from a kingdom that once looked on us with contempt. I would gladly accept this invitation, but I am reluctant to leave Earth defenseless. Have you thought of that?"

There was an uncomfortable silence after that statement. "It won't be defenseless, Sailor Pluto," Galaxia comforted her. "Even if there was a threat to speak of in this corner of the cosmos, I will leave a detachment of Sailor Soldiers on Earth to deal with any problems that come up. And some of your allies will be left behind to aid them."

Sailor Pluto could not argue. It was a solid plan, and a good idea. However, she clearly did not like it. Celestia looked over from her corner just in time to see the tiniest flicker of discomfort, and (could it be?) annoyance.

_What does she have against Kinmoku?_ Amy wondered.

Galaxia stared at Sailor Pluto. Her expression was unreadable. "So what do you say. I would prefer I had unanimous consent before I left Earth's orbit."

"Come on, Sailor Pluto!" Sailor Mercury jumped in. "Like I said before. Opportunities like this come along once in a billion years. Besides, I'm rather excited to meet the other Senshi out there in the Galaxy. How many people get to visit other worlds? All I've ever seen is Earth and Nemesis."

"Oh, yeah?Well I've never even left Japan," Saturn moaned.

"You're not the only one, Hotaru," Mina laughed. "Please, Sailor Pluto?" Sailor Venus begged.

"Don't ask me," Sailor Pluto shook her head. Amy saw her take a deep breath. "I am not the leader of the Sailor Scouts. Ask Sailor Moon. Where she goes, we'll go."

Everyone stabbed Sailor Moon with pleading looks. Sailor Moon met everyone's eyes, then blushed and stared at the floor. "I... I want to, of course... oh, this is so embarrassing!... I mean... yeah!... I would love to go!"

"HOORAY!" nearly everyone in the room exclaimed.

TO BE CONTINUED...

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE JOURNEY BEGINS!


	8. The Journey Begins

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

The Planet Farion was a world populated by two intelligent races. The Sivruun, and the Gp'fash. One race was subterranean, while the other built their cities in the clouds. Both shared the surface together in a kind of symbiotic harmony as they had for thousands of years. They traded everything from minerals and valuable gases to information and scientific knowledge. They shared literally everything.

Including the Planet's lone Senshi.

Sailor Farion coasted along the updrafts and warm air currents in the sky of her home world. Her purple hair was streaming out behind her like a tail, and her purple/green Senshi uniform flapped in the breeze. Sailor Farion loved to fly, and she took as much time away from her Senshi duties to enjoy the exercise as possible. She turned over and let the warmth of the red super-giant star the Planet circled bathe her in reddish light and heat. On days like this, it felt good to be alive.

But suddenly, she was jarred out of her daydreaming by a distant explosion. She opened her eyes and righted herself. Searching, she scanned the horizon for anything out of the ordinary. She saw nothing, and was tempted to believe that she had only imagined the noise when she heard it again. This time the explosion was accompanied by a ripple in the atmosphere.

Sailor Farion changed her direction and headed toward the source of the noise. It was coming from the floating city of Cardash. She reached the hovering metropolis to find the superstructure yawing dangerously in the air, and over two-thirds of it on fire! She felt the ripple in the atmosphere again, and looked up to see the source of the explosions for the first time.

It was a Starcruiser of alien origin. Definitely not from her part of the Galaxy. It shot out laser beams from its dorsal weaponry array and surgically lanced the city of Cardash into pieces. The city's hover system began to give out and it started to fall to the ground. The city's defenses blasted away at the Starcruiser, but the deflector shields easily held off the assault.

Farion hesitated. She had to stop the attack, but she also had an obligation to save lives. The city was falling from the sky, and when it hit the ground it would cause an explosion that would ecologically damage the Planet for centuries to come. In the end there was really no choice. She flew downward and positioned herself underneath the city just as the last hover mechanism died away. The city began to freefall, and it was all Sailor Farion could do to keep it from falling too fast. She was only one Senshi, however, and the city would inevitably hit the ground. All she could hope was that she could slow its descent enough so that it wouldn't explode.

Her mind was racing for ideas when she felt a grip like a vice, snatch her in the midsection. It began to pull her out from under the falling city.

"NOOO!" she cried, as she was forcefully extracted from her task. Tears streamed from her eyes as the city plummeted to the ground and crashed with an explosion that sent shock waves all the way around to the other side of the world.

Burning with vengeance, Farion turned in the direction of the ship and blasted away with her ultraviolet energy powers. They too splashed harmlessly off the shields, and she struggled without any luck to break free from what had to be a tractor beam field. She was aware that the Cardash defenses had been blasted away as if they were nothing. Reinforcements were most likely on their way, but would not get to her in time.

She felt a tingle, and her vision went white. The familiar feel of a teleportation beam bringing her aboard. She flashed into action, ready to tear the ship to pieces from the inside out, but she was stopped by a shock that paralyzed her body and most of her mind. She collapsed to the floor and was dimly aware of the person standing over her crumpled body.

"You Senshi are pathetically predictable!" he laughed in contempt. "However, your powers are useful to us."

Sailor Farion tried to move, but she couldn't even bat an eyelid. She saw the boots of another Sailor Senshi standing next to her vision. One of those boots kicked her over onto her back. She laid eyes on her captors and saw that one of them was also a Senshi.

"Wha...?" she barely sputtered out. Her lips felt like rubber.

"Don't worry, she has all her wits about her. She's simply seen the light. As will you." The other figure was a nightmarish twisted man. His face was like living scar tissue, and his eyes were red as burning coals. He bent down and looked her in the face. "You serve a new master now. You serve Cold Star!"

Sailor Farion was already mentally slowed from her shocking experience. The voice made what remained of her mind flutter away. "w-wh-what? Cold... Star?"

"Yes. He is your master now. To serve him is to serve a higher cause than what you served before."

"No... Yes... he is... my master now."

"_Who_ is?" the other asked, stabbing her with those burning eyes.

"Cold Star. He is my master." A new fire ignited in her soul. It was a black fire, and it felt oh, so good! Suddenly, Sailor Farion couldn't wait to serve her new master. The pathetic life she had led before was now a useless footnote in the history of the cosmos. "I serve my master gladly, my lord."

The Senshi beside him smiled coldly. "Yes," she said. "We all serve Cold Star gladly."

sssss

Galaxia's ship soon entered Hyperspace for the twelve hour journey to Kinmoku. It was a new experience for the Senshi, who never saw Hyperspace before. It was a lot like entering a vast tunnel filled with rainbow colored lights. However it was also monotonous and after a while they all got bored and began finding other things to do.

They were given free reign in the ship, and since it was a giant ship, they all split up to do their own exploring.

For some mysterious reason, Galaxia summoned Sailor Moon up to the Bridge. Sailor Moon entered the command room and looked at all the computers and instrumentation all around her. She saw Senshi she had never seen before working on them with professional skill, completely ignoring her presence but for some cursory glances of curiosity.

In the center of theBridge was an elevated chair. Galaxia sat in that chair, talking with Sailor Nova Proxima in hushed tones. She seemed to finally spot Sailor Moon out of the corner of her eye, and she dismissed the Nova Sailor with a gesture. Proxima smiled at Sailor Moon as she walked by, and left the bridge. Sailor Moon watched her leave. The Nova Senshi may have been warriors, but their leader seemed friendly enough.

"Sailor Moon, a word with you, please," Galaxia's voice projected to her ears. She turned and saw Galaxia sitting expectantly in her command chair. "I beg you."

Serena calmed a sudden bout of nerves. As Sailor Pluto had pointed out a short while ago, she was the leader of her team. Maybe she could score some points by acting more like one than usual. She straightened up a little, not knowing just how much formality was required to speak with the elder Senshi.

Fortunately, not much was necessary. "I am to understand your Earth name is Serena," Galaxia stated. "I know you must feel uncomfortable a little, so would it help if we were to dispense with formal titles?"

"Um, sure," Serena felt herself relax. "What's your real name?"

Galaxia's eyes glimmered."I was hoping you'd ask. My real name is Tarabithia. I'm originally from the Planet Vespa, in the Koul System. The short form of my name is Tara. You may call me that since my full name is a bit cumbersome."

"So if you are from this Planet Vespa, wouldn't you be Sailor Vespa?" asked Serena.

"You have eight Senshi on your team that all live on Earth, but they are not all Sailor Earth," Galaxia pointed out. "No. Sailor Vespa was my Cousin."

"Wow, you have a Cousin?" Serena smiled. "I can't wait to meet her."

"I'll take you to her grave, then. She's been dead for 100 years," said Galaxia with a tinge of amusement in her voice.

"Ooh! Sorry! I didn't know," Serena covered her mouth.

"It is of no consequence," Galaxia settled back in her chair. "Please, sit down, Serena."

She was just about to point out there was nowhere for her to sit, but another chair rose up out of the floor next to her. "Oh, wow!" she startled.

Galaxia smiled. "That's nothing. In about half a day, you will forget about being impressed by something that mundane. Alpha Senshi will open your eyes."

"I can't wait," Serena replied, trying to make herself comfortable. "Umm… Alpha Senshi is…"

"The Capital City of Kinmoku," Galaxia pointed out. "The only city really. We Senshi don't like to ruin the natural environment of our world by spreading out and settling elsewhere. Alpha Senshi has been the same size in terms of area for tens of thousands of years now."

"Well I guess with only women on your world the population doesn't grow much," Serena laughed. Galaxia didn't seem to get the joke and so Serena cleared her throat and looked around for something to talk about. "Sailor Pluto… Has she ever been there? I get the sense that she has."

"Yes, many times," Galaxia nodded. "Often has she served as Ambassador of sorts. She commands great respect on my world. Did you know that?"

Sailor Moon was surprised. "No. She never made a big issue about that. Of course, we also never asked her."

"That is the reason everyone treats her with so much respect and authority," Galaxia turned her vision out to the swirling chaos of Hyperspace on the view screen. Her eyes flattened a little with contemplation. "I myself am quite old. I've been from one end of this Galaxy to another, but even I don't approach the level of experience she has. As the Guardian of Time she has seen times and places I can scarcely imagine. She has an insight into things that I envy sometimes. You Earth Senshi are lucky to have her as a guide."

Sailor Moon cast her gaze on the floor. "Yeah, she's great alright. Sometimes she has a better grasp of things than any of us. I've often thought..." she trailed off.

Galaxia looked at her. "Do tell."

"I've often thought she could be a better leader than I could be."

"Ah, the insecurities of leadership," Galaxia smiled. "You are young, Serena, and haven't reached your full potential. I realize I did not treat you well while Dark Mercury was threatening you. I myself underestimated you and your teammates. For that I apologize. I should have remembered the Star Seed."

"The Star Seed?" Serena met Galaxia's eyes.

"The light of the Universe," Galaxia said, "the only light that could bathe the Universe in its eternal glow. The light of your Star Seed, the only power capable of doing that. You may be inexperienced, Serena, but your heart is pure, and your power is limited only by your imagination. In that respect, I can't think of anyone more cut out to be a leader. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"I don't deserve it though," Serena protested. "I couldn't have done that, any of that, without my friends. I'm not terribly smart. And I'm always afraid in battle."

"And they couldn't possibly have done it without you," Galaxia reassured her. "Being a leader means relying on others to accomplish a mission. Sailor Pluto could never be a leader. Not because she lacks the maturity or the courage, or even the power, but because she has spent nearly her entire life isolated from people. She can't depend on others as freely and as willingly as you can, because she doesn't have the strength of heart to give in to trust as easily."

Galaxia leaned forward in her seat and looked intently at Sailor Moon. "While you are here with us. I want to try and help you fulfill that last bit of training that you need to become the leader you are destined to be. I will help you get over your inexperience and your immaturity. And you will see what so many others, your friends included, see of you. Only then will you achieve greatness."

Sailor Moon might have been offended by the word immaturity, but Galaxia obviously did not mean it in a malicious manner. "Thanks."

"Now," Galaxia sat down again. "I have a question to ask of you."

"Sure."

"What do you know about your friend, Amy?" Galaxia asked. "The one who has become Sailor Celestia. Do you know the details?"

Serena sighed. "It's a long story. If you want to know why, you'd probably be better off getting it straight from the Horse's mouth."

Galaxia's eyebrow shot up a bit. "Was that some kind of Earth joke?"

"What... the horse bit?" Serena felt a sweat drop slide down her face. She mentally kicked herself for not remembering that Galaxia was not Human. "Never mind. I meant that you would be better off asking Amy herself."

"Ah," Galaxia made a mental note: familiarize herself with Earthling analogies. She didn't even know what a Horse was. "In that case, I suppose I will. In the meantime, do you have any questions, Serena?"

"What's Kinmoku like?" Serena leaned forward. "If it's not too much trouble to explain it all, that is," she added quickly.

"It is a world of natural wonder," Galaxia began. "The system it's in consists of a single sun that rotates around it."

"The Planet itself is at the center of the system?" Serena's eyes widened.

"Yes, it is extremely rare. The city 'Alpha Senshi' is located on one continent. It is enormous, probably bigger than most of your Earthly nations. It's tallest buildings dwarf your highest mountains, and are sheathed in a copper alloy that reflects the light of our sun and makes it look like it burns with holy light during the day. You'll meet Senshi there that you've never dreamed were possible, and even some you did. The celebration will be most magnificent, with games and contests and parades. For three days the pageantry will dazzle you. I guarantee it. Of course, this sort of spectacle cannot be easily explained. You have to see it for yourself. Like I said before, it will open your eyes."

"Thanks, Galaxia," Sailor Moon stood up. "I guess I'll see it for myself when I get there, but I'm sure I won't be disappointed."

"I'm sure you won't. Goodbye for now."

"Bye."

Sailor Moon felt so much better as she left the Bridge. If there was one thing Jedite and Sailor Pluto had pounded into her it's that the denizens of Alpha Senshi were radically different than the Senshi she'd met. Some of them might even consider her beneath their consideration. But it was good to know that at least one, Galaxia no less, was willing to be kind and courteous.

Galaxia let her smile slowly melt off of her face as she watched Sailor Moon go. Such a naive little girl, with so much trust and far too much inexperience. She was powerful, but was a novice at best. She and her friends had defeated Chaos. An admirable feat, and certainly one she could not have imagined possible for them. But they were still young and had grown up without a lot of advantages. Galaxia fervently wished to give them those advantages and see them prosper. She felt she owed it to the memory of her former mentor…

She turned back to her duties. What she was about to do, she was doing for their own good. The Earth Senshi needed to grow up if they had any hope of creating the future they strove for. She would do whatever it took to achieve that goal.

One of her officers turned and asked: "Why did you lie to her about Sailor Pluto?"

Galaxia looked at her officer. "There's no need to dredge up trouble now. We are inviting the Sailor Scouts to a celebration, not a private war. Hopefully, Sailor Pluto will acknowledge our efforts to be polite and not start any trouble."

"And if she doesn't?"

Galaxia frowned. "If she doesn't, then I suppose trouble will be unavoidable. Still… It's been half a million years since the 'Revolution.' We shall see if she still hates us after all that time…"

sssss

Darien was beside himself. Serena had not come home last night. He never found her, no matter where he looked. He'd called all her friends, her parents, everyone they ever knew to see if she could possibly be there. Each call came up empty.

Darien never got to sleep last night and now the Sun was coming up on Friday morning. He was dreadfully tired, but he still couldn't close his eyes until he knew Serena was safe. The way she ran off like she did left him with more questions than answers. The look on her face had been grave, yet earnest, like she was running off to find answers to mysteries she'd wondered about her entire life. Had that fortune telling booth she'd stopped at been a trap set by some enemy? Oddly enough he didn't get the sensation Serena was in any danger. His heart was telling him she was in no immediate trouble, which was odd. So where on Earth was she?

There came a knock at his door and Darien got up to answer it. He peered through the peephole and saw Jed Tokiba standing there. Darien opened the door for the Detective and noticed an ugly bruise on his chin. "What happened to you?"

"You ever get punched by a Senshi? I don't recommend it," Jed said, rubbing his jaw a bit painfully. "Jesus, it still hurts to talk. Let me make this short. The Senshi are gone, Darien. Every last one of them. Serena, Hotaru, Trista, everyone."

"Who punched you?" asked Darien.

"A redhead. I knew she was a Senshi, but she caught me by surprise. I was knocked out like a light. By the time I woke up again Trista and Hotaru were gone. They'd been with me when I was clocked. There were signs of a fight, so they didn't go willingly, wherever they went."

Darien swallowed hard. _Senshi capturing Senshi? That could only mean one thing._

"Galaxia's behind this, she must be," said Jed, as if reading his thoughts. "But what she wants I don't know. In any case we have to search for the girls."

"Why would she kidnap our Senshi?" asked Darien, getting dressed. "I'd know right away if Serena's in mortal danger and I'm not getting that feeling."

"Then let's consider ourselves lucky so far. But I'm not going to just sit back and trust to hope," said Jed. "We're going to the Hikawa Temple."

"Why there?"

"Because Master Hino might be able to use his psychic powers to connect with Katsie and the other Senshi. We have to consider the likelihood that they're not on this Planet anymore."

Darien threw his shoes on. "You sure know how brighten a day, Jed."

"I'm a realist, not an optimist," Jed turned down the volume on his hip radio as it gushed static. "Are you ready? I want to know if they're on this world or not before I simply give up looking for them."

sssss

"We're almost there," Andrea poked her head in on Robert's room. "We're passing over Western Japan right now."

Rob sat up in his bed and nodded his head. "And the Senshi?"

"They're halfway to Kinmoku by now," said Andrea. "We're going to make contact with Tuxedo Mask first. I'm sure he and a few others would like some answers."

"Yes, I can sympathize with them, I really can," Robert quipped as hestood up and threw his shirt on.

"Less crying, more readying," Andrea called back as she walked up the corridor back toward the cockpit.

"Someday she's going to go too far," Rob griped to himself as he finished dressing. "Sister or no Sister, she's headed the right way for Smack-bottom…"

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT... CHAPTER EIGHT: ALPHA SENSHI


	9. Alpha Senshi

CHAPTER EIGHT: ALPHA SENSHI

It was a long twelve hours to be sure, but the Senshi found lots to do aboard the Starship Colossus. Lita found the ship's Galley to be very interesting and was soon watching with almost a mesmerized fascination some of the Senshi dishes being prepared. Some of them found a Rec Room complete with exercising equipment and games. The Senshi who ran the Rec Room gladly showed them how to use every alien device without hurting themselves or damaging the equipment. Some slept. Some talked with other Senshi aboard the ship. Serena got lost at one point and everyone had to look for her. They found her in the Reactor Room when one of the Senshi Techs reported an unauthorized visitor in Engineering. It was embarrassing.

Amy found Prism again and had a long talk about Alpha Senshi with her. A conversation she would later relay to the others.

"Alpha Senshi moves very fast, I believe, by your Earth standards," Prism told her. "During the Eon Celebration it will be more pronounced. There will be parties, sporting events, contests, and generally mass chaos. I'm afraid to say it's easy to get lost in such a vast and crowded city during such a time, so please stick together and try to contact me or some of the other officials before you wish to go anywhere. Of course we will be taking you girls on tours and such quite frequently until the Senshi Games start."

"The Senshi Games?" Amy repeated.

"The height of the Eon Celebration," Prism said, looking glad that Amy has asked her. "It's like your Olympics, held at each and every Eon Celebration that occurs. Almost every Senshi in the Galaxy takes part and competes for the top five prizes in every category. It's not simply sports, however. There are games, batteries, combat simulations, and other assortments of activities ranging from music to art. It's no exaggeration to say that there's something for everyone in the Senshi Games. Your participation is eagerly anticipated by many who've heard of your exploits."

"There's something that I want to ask you, Prism. How do we get past the language barriers on Alpha Senshi? I know everyone there can't possibly be fluent in Japanese like you are," Amy asked.

"There won't be much of a barrier at all," Prism laughed. "Indeed the language that you think you are speaking is Japanese, but it goes far beyond that. The language of Japan is descended from the Moon Kingdom. The Moon Kingdom's dialect is but one of many of the dialects of Senshido."

"Senshido?"

"The language of all Senshi," Prism explained. "All Senshi speak it. They are practically born knowing it at heart. No matter where in the Universe they live they share this common link. It is as much a birthright as their powers. You've noticed the symbols and messages aboard the ship, haven't you? Perhaps you can't quite read them, but you'll notice how similar the writing is to Kanji. It's because for some reason we can't quite figure out, your Japanese nation inherited some of the Moon Kingdom's language and culture from a thousand years ago. In this way you are quite fortunate, for many of the other tongues on your Planet are so dissimilar to Senshido that it would be quite hopeless for you on Alpha Senshi. Just a word of warning. Be mindful of what you say. Your language is different, even if only slightly, and some slang words and metaphors you know could be accidentally insulting on our world. Mostly, however, I believe you'll adapt. Besides, you're all guests here. Don't be afraid to ask for a translation from your hosts."

"That's strange," Amy was fascinated. A bit of history she didn't know. She would have to look into that. The history of the Moon Kingdom and why only Japan inherited their native language. She was certain the answers would be found somewhere on Kinmoku and she was determined to find it. "You wouldn't happen to have a Library in Alpha Senshi, would you?"

Prism smiled and giggled under her breath. "I was wondering when you would ask."

sssss

Twelve hours passed rapidly and the 'Colossus' emerged from the Wormhole nearest the blue Planet of Kinmoku. The first thing the Senshi saw as they looked out the windows at space, aside from a completely different set of stars and constellations, was a vast fleet of ships, both large and small, and a massive Space Station in orbit around Kinmoku.

With a steadily decreasing roar of engines, the Starship belonging to Sailor Galaxia decelerated and descended toward the orbital station. Galaxia entered the room where everyone was talking and watching the busy sky outside. She smiled with amusement at their sudden childlike enthusiasm. Sailor Pluto seemed more or less indifferent, but the rest displayed varying levels of wonderment.

"It's like something out of a Science Fiction film," Birdie said.

"No kidding," Mina agreed.

"Everyone," Galaxia interrupted.

The Senshi all turned as one to regard the leader of the Senshi. "We'll be docking at Space Station ARIES I and transferring to a surface shuttle. This ship is far too large to make landfall on the surface. Please follow me and don't get separated."

The Colossus pulled alongside the docking bays of the Space Station. Massive pylons extended from the superstructure and connected to the port side of the hull. A series of bangs and clicks later and the ship was docked. Galaxia led the ten Senshi down several levels to a crew door marked with a red lettering.

Sailor Rainbow Prism waited at the door with her hand resting on the release.

"Oh my! Isn't she cute?" Sailor Moon bent down and smiled at Prism.

Amy couldn't help giggling up a storm. Prism blushed and patted Serena's cheek. "Why thank you, my dear. You're pretty cute as well. You've inherited your Mother's good looks, no doubt about it."

Serena stood up straight, probably surprised by Prism's adult voice and her equally strange comments. "Oh… You mean?"

"Serena… She's an adult. In fact she's older than you are," Amy was still laughing.

"She looks kind of like Rini," Saturn wondered. "But a lot more colorful."

"Some of you already met me," Prism replied to the group. "Those of you seeing me for the first time may call me Violet when we're not in public. Otherwise I am Sailor Rainbow Prism. I am the official Goodwill Ambassador of Kinmoku. As the Ambassador it is both my duty and my extreme pleasure to welcome you officially to Planet Kinmoku!" With a flourish she pulled the lever and the door slid open to reveal a long corridor and beyond it a bustling terminal where even more Senshi could be seen moving around.

"I'll have to instruct you to feel free to look around, but not separate from the group," Prism said, taking the lead next to Sailor Galaxia. "It would be most embarrassing to get lost on foreign territory."

"Somebody keep an eye on Sailor Moon," said Sailor Mars.

"Okay, people! Enough with the 'lost' jokes!" Serena said with a clenched fist.

Everyone laughed at that one and their trip through the ARIES I Station began. Senshi in the terminal stopped what they were doing and watched the guests move through. In many ways it appeared that the hosts were every bit as curious about their guests as their guests were about them.

Sailor Celestia tried not to stare, but she could tell people were looking at her and her friends. Occasionally she could overhear whispers identifying them as the 'Moon Kingdom' and 'Earth Senshi'. There was nothing malicious about their whispers. Rather the rumoring seemed rife with a certain restrained awe. Was their arrival on this world really so momentous?

She noticed other things as they moved along. Many Senshi stopped to salute or to bow at the waist to Sailor Galaxia. All gave way to her like she was some kind of Queen or holy persona. The same respect was given to the guests who followed in her wake. Every time Amy made eye contact with one of the Kinmokians, they would bow their heads in acknowledgment.

Surprisingly, Amy had expected perhaps Serena would be drawing the most attention from their hosts, but it looked like a lot of Senshi had someone else in mind. Sailor Uranus took up a rear position in the group alongside Sailor Neptune. Amy could hear several drawn gasps and small outcries of emotion as some of the Senshi laid eyes on Uranus.

"Oh my God!… Who could that be!… Looks like a man!… What a treat!" Were just some of the things that could be heard.

Others seemed drawn to Neptune. Some of the more masculine looking Senshi, like Uranus, obviously took notice of the aqua-haired Michelle. The two of them weren't oblivious to this attention and the two exchanged knowing gazes and smirked. From one Planet to another it seemed their appeal was still formidable.

In fact every Senshi drew some kind of admirer. Neptune and Uranus weren't the only ones, simply the most popular. Amy could hear whispers of how 'refined' Sailor Pluto looked. Or how 'cute' or 'adorable' Saturn appeared. Serena, of course, was quietly referred to as 'Princess' or 'her highness'. Even Amy drew some attention, though her crowd of admirers appeared to be more of the intelligent community.

_This place is like Earth, except here we seem to be celebrities,_ Amy thought.

Finally they came out to another docking bay and were escorted by Galaxia and Prism to an arrowhead shaped shuttle that was less than a tenth the size of the massive Starship they'd arrived on. Both crew-members stood at the foot of the ramp of the shuttle and bowed as the group moved past them.

Sailor Uranus caught their eyes as she walked by and winked. The pilot and co-pilot exchanged looks and giggled. Michelle elbowed Amara. "Enough," she whispered.

"They were looking at you too," Amara murmured.

"At least I'm not openly flirting, you heartbreaker you," Michelle shot back.

Within minutes the shuttle had taken off from the docking bay and left the vicinity of the station. Galaxia and Prism sat in the front two seats. Serena and Amy sat with them. Serena next to Galaxia. Amy next to Prism. The rest of the Senshi more or less haphazardly occupied seats behind them in two rows. The descent had almost no turbulence or feeling of motion, yet the Planet below grew steadily closer.

"How big is this world? In comparison to Earth, I mean?" Amy asked Prism.

"If I had to compare… about the size of your Planet Neptune," Prism replied. "You'll notice there's more gravity, but that's all. Your Senshi powers will keep you from feeling too uncomfortable. You may have some difficulty flying at first, so we'll be transporting you around as needed."

"Does every Senshi fly?" asked Mars from thenext seat.

"It's a basic skill, yes," said Prism. "But most of us prefer artificial modes of transport. It drains our energy to fly constantly from place to place all day."

"Makes sense," Mars leaned back and looked out her window.

Planet Kinmoku continued to grow outside until only the horizon could be seen and the sky turned a deep blue overhead, blocking out the stars. As the ground below came into view, everyone looked outside and laid eyes on the true wonder of Kinmoku's natural landscape.

The trees were tall enough to touch the clouds, and were a uniform blue and sea green color. Some of the trees grew together, forming a single organism that was greater than any single tree. From these great branches swung monkey-like creatures with lizard tails. Flying in and out of the trees were the most brilliantly colored birds Sailor Moon had ever seen. One bird was orange and red, with a touch of purple on its wingtips, but when it landed in a tree branch, it's feathers changed color to match the color of the blue leaves.

"Whoa!" Serena exclaimed.

"I saw. It was just like a chameleon," Saturn shared her youthful enthusiasm. "Look at that up ahead."

They flew over a canyon that stretched on for miles. Waterfalls could be seen all over the place, and the rainbows caused by refraction of the water mist and sunshine were abundant. Over and through these rainbows flew even more exotic and beautiful birds and insects. The insects themselves were amazing. They had three pairs of wings, instead of two, twelve legs, three compound eyes, and ranged from the size of a hand span, to the size of small trucks. They were beautifully colored in violets and blue-greens, and their wings were translucent pinks.

The canyon itself was made up of orange and yellow rocks, just like the canyons back on Earth, but this particular canyon stretched on forever. It was like thirteen or fourteen Grand Canyons lumped together.

Just visible on the horizon were craggy mountains topped with snow. On the peaks of these mountains sat various pulsating blobs of green that stuck up like domes. None of the girls could identify them, but Sailor Pluto, who had visited this Planet before said that they were egg sacks for some of the insects. For the egg sacks to be big enough to see from miles away made every member awestruck with wonder. Surely that must be a lot of eggs.

"They're called the 'Dragonfly Mountains'," Galaxia said. "Those eggs belong to Kinmoku's variety of Dragonfly."

"How big do they get to lay such huge amounts of eggs?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"About twelve meters long if I'm not mistaken," said Galaxia.

"EEEWWWWW!" Sailor Moon shivered. "I hate big bugs!"

"Do they… attack?" Venus gulped.

"Sometimes," Prism joked with her. "In fact we have Senshi who go missing now and then. We think they might be feeding them to their young."

Venus and Moon both cried out in terror. Saturn clutched Pluto's arm in apprehension.

"You're not serious, right?" Amy asked.

Prism winked and uttered a muffled laugh. She put a finger to her lips.

sssss

For what seemed a long time, the shuttle flew over the natural scenery of Kinmoku. The Senshi saw several more natural ecosystems, ranging from wide Savannah's to thick Rain Forests, teaming with even more exotic animals and plants. Once, Sailor Celestia spotted a plant that looked like a Venus Fly-trap, only it was easily the size of a full grown elephant. It stirred to the sound of the vast engines flying overhead, but then settled back down again.

_That almost looks like Francoise,_ Amy thought, stifling a grin. _Diana's pet flytrap. Maybe it's a member of the same species._

When the city of Alpha Senshi finally appeared over the horizon, the natural wonders were forgotten entirely.

The city was gigantic! Even from hundreds of miles away, it stretched as far as the eye could see, disappearing over the curve of the Planet. Its buildings surpassed the clouds, and were sheathed in a coppery metal that gleamed like gold in the midday sun. The city was planted firmly in the ground, but to the surprise of a few of the Sailor Scouts, some of the buildings in Alpha Senshi actually hovered above the ground, suspended by some sort of engine or force field. As the ship came within a hundred miles of Alpha Senshi, the girls began to see little dots flickering over the tops of these gigantic buildings. Like the birds in the canyon, they were diverse and colorful, and they seemed to fly about completely care-free. They were Senshi, flying about on their daily business either under their own power or in vehicles as brightly colored as they were.

A small number of Senshi flew out from the city and flanked the ship on both sides. More and more filtered in from the vast metropolis the closer the shuttle got. By the time they actually entered city limits, they had an escort of easily a thousand Senshi guiding them to the floating shipyard that hung suspended over a shorter set of buildings. It should be noted that even the shortest buildings in Alpha Senshi dwarfed Tokyo Tower.

Their escort broke away as the shuttle came to a hovering standstill on one of the landing pads. Sailor Moon tore her enraptured gaze away from the city skyline and noticed the three figures standing on the edge of the pad. Three very familiar figures indeed.

"Hey look!" Sailor Venus pointed to the same three people. "Isn't that the Princess Kakyuu and the Starlights?"

Indeed it was. The Princess stood in the center. Her red hair was done in loops hanging to her shoulders. Her dress was dark pink, with a gold cape hanging around her neck that glittered with tiny specks of golden gems. She held a long scepter that resembled the Garnet Rod held by Sailor Pluto, only the top of it was crested with the same symbol that rested on the hull of the Colossus. Inset on the top of that symbol was a ruby gem in the shape of a crown. Kakyuu's dress reached to the ground, and was folded and embroidered in such a way as to be almost impossible to discern where it ended and where it began. White ribbons hung from the skirt, with little white Senshi bows every few inches. On the front of her dress was another ribbon, only light pink, not white.

Flanking the Princess on both sides were the two remaining Sailor Starlights. They were clad in the usual bikini design Senshi uniforms they were so well known for. The only difference was that instead of black and gray, the uniforms were Silver and Gold. Their hairstyles were the same as well. They did have differently shaped brooches holding their Senshi bows on in front. They were the same symbol as the ruby jewel on the Princess' staff. Clearly since they last saw them, the Starlights had gone through something of a promotion in status.

"Princess Kakyuu and her guardians came here after Chaos was purged," said Galaxia. "To make amends for what I had done in the past I granted them assylum here. Kakyuu is widely beloved by the Senshi on this world and they treat her as royalty. The Starlights are her protectors and enjoy quite a bit of status due to that."

"They look happy anyway," Serena waved to them.

When the hatch on the shuttle opened, Galaxia led the Sailor Scouts out onto the pad. The wind blew quite strongly, but was still warm, even at this altitude. The air was a little thin, but other than that, not much different from the atmosphere on Earth. Sailor Mercury activated her visor and confirmed that, though it wasn't really necessary. If the atmosphere were noxious in any way, they wouldn't be standing out there unprotected.

Galaxia bowed before the Princess, and the two exchanged a quiet dialogue for a few minutes. Then, Galaxia stood up and moved to the side.

"Sailor Scouts," Princess Kakyuu stepped forward. "I am so delighted to see you could make it here. Your presence at the celebration has been greatly anticipated." She looked over at Sailor Moon and she took her hand. Clutching it warmly, she went on. "Princess Serenity. Your presence is most appreciated. Everyone wants to see who it was who destroyed Chaos."

Sailor Moon blushed. "Thank you," she said, uncertain how to respond any other way. "That means a lot."

"What are we, chopped liver?" Jupiter asked with a huff.

"Yeah, but the leaders always get the credit," Sailor Uranus replied. "Besides, she deserves to be treated like a Princess, if only for a few days. Maybe it will be a valuable learning experience… And at least she didn't die."

"Yeah, okay…" Jupiter sighed. "Don't remind me."

Kakyuu went from Senshi to Senshi, thanking them for coming, and congratulating them. She stopped for a bit longer at Sailors Uranus and Neptune, and smiled. "You two will make a great couple," she said. That statement drew some surprised stares from the rest of their teammates.

As soon as formal introductions were ended, Kakyuu turned and motioned to her two honor guards. "You remember the Starlights, of course," she said. "As you have probably noticed, their uniforms are different. This is their formal attire. I made them wear it today."

"Kicking and screaming, I might add," Yaten joked.

"You look fine," Sailor Moon responded to them.

"It's good to see you again under peaceful circumstances for a change," Taiki replied.

Soon it was time to leave. Princess Kakyuu invited them to accompany her to the palace. Some of the most important members of the city leadership were assembled there, and it was important, Kakyuu said, to meet them all. The Princess and the Starlights got onto a type of floating platform. The rest of them piled into a floating car with twelve open seats. Galaxia flew under her own power, staying ahead of the Princess' float and ordering other Senshi to stand aside for the Princess. News traveled surprisingly fast in a city that big, and Senshi came flying out from all over to look at the newcomers. Sailor Moon tried not to lose her temper as she overheard some whispered comments about her hair. The word 'Odango' apparently existed on this world as well.

The opulent palace of Alpha Senshi was easily the tallest building in the city. It went up over two cloud layers. It was shaped like a double tower, linked by suspended walkways at intervals up and down the length of it. The top of the palace was molded together into a gigantic archway. On the top of it was gigantic mirror. Sailor Celestia noticed for the first time that several of the tallest buildings in the city were crested with such mirrors.

"Must be some form of communication," Amy said. She scientifically studied every building and structure, and the various Senshi onlookers carefully.

The archway at the top of the palace was actually bigger than it looked. It was large enough to actually hold the throne room inside of it. That was where the entourage was headed. They landed on a broad balcony that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

"Whoa! How'd you do that!" Mercury activated her visor again as they landed. Kakyuu said that it was a form of solid light projection.

"Solid Light?" Amy exclaimed. "That's impossible!"

Princess Kakyuu was not in the least taken aback. "Actually, it's simple," she smiled. "The crystal battery within the matrix of the projector machine takes the light it absorbs and converts it into solid matter. As you must know, light is a form of energy. All things are made up of energy, even matter. The projector simply converts and transforms the energy from light to matter. Thus, once the balcony is no longer needed, the solid energy gets converted back to light again."

"Pretty cool," Sailor Mars commented. "I'm surprised the whole city isn't made of this stuff."

Kakyuu frowned. "Well, it IS a simple process, but it's also unreliable over extended periods of time. For example, we can't use this machine at night, because there isn't enough light to convert. Also, if there were to be a sabotage attempt, the whole city would vanish like a mirage. Much better if we use it on a limited basis."

"Ah," Mars nodded. "When you put it like that…"

"Shall we?" Kakyuu motioned toward the throne room entrance. The Sailor Scouts followed her into the palace.

As was mentioned before, the archway was the seat of power. It was large enough to hold the throne room, and so it did. Inside it was a massive chamber, with a broad, carpeted floor, covered from top to bottom with mirrors. The floor looked to be made of some shiny black stone that also reflected their bodies upward.

"You still wear teddy-bear panties, Hotaru?" asked Amara.

"What are you doing!" Hotaru exclaimed, turning bright red. She grabbed her skirt and tried to yank it between her legs.

Michelle slapped Amara lightly on the shoulder.

Tapestries depicting ancient battles and great momentous events in Alpha Senshi history hung from the rafters. At the end of the hall was the throne, studded with jewels of all colors. On either side were a row of chairs. Nine in all. Seated at each chair were the council members Kakyuu had talked about at the landing pad. She introduced them from left to right.

"First, there's the Councilor of Public Works," Kakyuu said. She motioned to a Senshi with black hair, dark brown eyes, and a silver and black Senshi uniform. She looked like a serious enough woman, though she bowed deeply in respect to Sailor Moon and the Senshi. "Her name is Sailor Singularity. Her chief power is hyperspace and inter-dimensional teleportation."

The scouts acknowledged Sailor Singularity.

"The next one is Sailor Silver Comet, our Justice of the Peace." said Kakyuu. A stately looking Senshi arose. She had white hair, and a Senshi uniform of varying shades of gray and silver. "Her power is, like Sailor Mercury, Ice, only far more advanced."

"Next there's Sailor Polaris, Senshi of the North Star. Her power is Magnetism. She is the Information and Charting Librarian." A Sailor Scout dressed in Green and Light Blue, with icy blue lipstick and dark blue hair and eyes arose and acknowledged them. Her expression was peaceable enough.

"Our fourth council member is Sailor Nebula. Her power is high velocity and entropic storms. She is our Minister of War." The look on her face was tightly controlled and just this side of hateful. Her red eyes seemed to burn right through Sailor Moon as she rose and seemed very reluctantly to acknowledge her team. Her hair was a mix between violet and red-orange. Her Senshi outfit was purple and rose pink, with a white ribbon in front.

If Kakyuu noticed the baleful glare of Sailor Nebula, she did not say anything just then. She moved on as if nothing were wrong. "Sailor Nova Proxima you've already met before. She is the leader of the Nova Senshi, and the Minister of Defense. She also is our Intelligence Chief." Sailor Nova Proxima was sitting at the council chair. Sailor Moon wondered just how she'd gotten here ahead of them from the Colossus.

"Sailor Diamond Dust, our Minister of Commerce." Kakyuu motioned to the sixth council seat, filled by a Senshi with blonde hair, and a red and blue Sailor Suit. It actually looked a little like the original costume worn by Sailor Moon, except it was more flowing and streamlined. She did not rise, but instead simply nodded in Sailor Moon's direction. Her face was unreadable. "Diamond Dust's power is spontaneous crystallization of diamond hard substances."

The Sailor Scouts puzzled over that power, but the Princess did not stop to explain. She plowed onward.

"Number Seven is our Environmental Specialist and Cartographer; Sailor Kinmoku. She was born purely of this Planet, and knows it better than anyone. She is also Galaxia's personal advisor on all around subjects involving the running of Senshi-controlled space and terrain. She makes it a point to know what's going on in terms of maintenance and upkeep all over our domain." The seventh Senshi stood and bowed flowingly. She was dressed in the same copper color, with a touch of Indigo, as the city itself was covered in. Her hair was bright orange. Her appearance was most surprising out of the other Councilors, for a pair of Butterfly wings decorated her shoulders and a pair of feathery antenna sprang from her hair just behind her bangs. "Welcome Sailor Scouts of Earth," she said in a rich voice. Thus far, she was the only one of the nine who spoke.

"Then there's Sailor Selenium. She is the Senshi of a Planet loyal to us several light years away. She is the defense and perimeter watcher. She is the first to know of any attacks from outside our territories." Sailor Selenium had yellow eyes and pale blue hair. Her uniform was green, with a bit of gold here and there. Selenium nodded, but did not get up from her chair. It took Sailor Moon a minute to figure out why.

"Oh my goodness, she's cripp… oops!" she said a bit too loudly.

The others looked at her sharply. The Princess seemed rather embarrassed by the outburst. Selenium, however, took the discovery in stride. She went around the desk and placed herself in full view. Where her legs should have been, there was instead a platform melded to her midsection, with treaded wheels underneath it. From the waist down she looked like a tank.

"What happened to you?" Sailor Neptune asked her, her eyes were full of pity.

"I wasn't always like this," Sailor Selenium replied. "Once I could walk, but I lost my legs in the Sailor Wars."

"I'm so sorry!" Sailor Moon apologized. "I didn't mean to call attention to-"

"Don't worry about it," Selenium interrupted. "There are far more important things in life than a pair of legs. It doesn't make me any less of a being. Spare me the pity." Her voice was bitter as she rolled back around her desk.

Sailor Moon noticed her friends looking at her. "I'm so sorry…" she whimpered, looking at the ground.

"Her condition is entirely my fault," Galaxia announced. "She stays here as a constant reminder of what I allowed Chaos to do with my body. Isn't that correct, Selenium?"

"I'll serve you until I die, Senshi Prime," said Selenium flatly. "And every time you look at me you will be reminded of your mistakes. I believe this is fair enough."

Galaxia nodded. "You are too kind toward me for what I have cost you."

"As for the ninth member, you have already met her as well," Princess Kakyuu wisely moved on. "Our Goodwill Ambassador Sailor Rainbow Prism. Her power is light energy. Her specialty is negotiation."

"Don't forget how irresistibly adorable I am, Princess," Prism said coyly.

"She also has quite the sense of humor," Kakyuu finished.

"Hey!" Prism folded her arms and playfully stuck out her tongue. All the Senshi laughed.

"Well all you girls must have had a long day," Sailor Kinmoku stood up. "Welcome to our world, Princesses of the Moon Kingdom. You are all children of Kinmoku and are welcome here for as long as you wish to stay. I have already taken the liberty of preparing your rooms and I will also be hosting your tours from now on. As the Princess so kindly pointed out, I know this place better than anyone. I can't wait until our next meeting, but for now I'm sure you all want to rest and take some time to yourselves, am I right?"

Sailor Moon felt a need to make up for her awkward moment earlier and stepped forward. Clearing her throat she bowed, Japanese-style to the Council members. "Thank you for welcoming us, and for your hospitality. I am honored."

Sailor Nebula scoffed silently and turned her eyes away. But the others accepted her thanks. Galaxia glared at Nebula, but said nothing at the moment.

"I'll take you girls to your rooms now," Prism bounded out in front of the group and clapped her hands. "And take your orders for dinner as well. Consider me your Hostess. Anything at all, simply ask."

CHAPTER NINE: FAMILY REUNION


	10. Family Reunion

CHAPTER NINE: FAMILY REUNION

Jed Tokiba was slumped over his desk, holding his pounding head in his hands. He had several papers on his desk, but he wasn't even looking at them. He wasn't able to concentrate lately. Not with the knowledge that the Senshi were missing.

He went over what he knew already in his mind. The Nova Senshi, and probably Galaxia as well, were behind their disappearance. Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse had clocked him in the chin before spiriting away Hotaru and Trista. Investigations by his and other departments in Tokyo revealed places in the city where there was heavy damage from unknown sources. The Nerima Landfill, the Hikawa Shrine on Cherry Hill, and the old Train Yard in Yokosuka. Obviously fights had occurred there. Fights between Senshi.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the same fate as Trista and Hotaru had befallen the others. None of the Senshi were anywhere to be found. Questions such as why this had happened and where they had been taken were unanswerable. More than likely they were off-world. That being the case, there really was nothing any of them could do about it. Knowing that certainly didn't make him feel any better.

"Sir?" Midori, his new Secretary, stood by his desk with a manila folder in her arms. She looked at him with great concern. "You haven't been very… Well you don't look good, sir. Are you ill?"

Perhaps he was. His headache was killing him and he guessed stress might be the chief cause of that condition. "What do you have for me?"

"The Tanizawa Case, sir. You asked me to assemble it for you and organize it," Midori laid it on his desk. "Do you want anything else? Perhaps some tea? I make some very good Green Tea."

Jed raised his head and forced a smile at her. "Sure… Why not? If I can't solve my problems, might as well just try to accept it."

Midori obviously was confused by his statement, but she dutifully curtsied and left his office to make the tea.

"Good girl," he muttered, tossing the Tanizawa file aside. He just didn't have the energy right now to concentrate on his work. He reached into his drawer and pulled out a bottle of pills. With a brief twist he opened it and dumped a pair of white tablets into his palm and was about to toss them back when his phone rang. Jed thought about ignoring it, but then thought better. It might be Darien or Ann with some new information.

"Tokyo PD, Investigative Branch. This is Detective Tokiba speaking," he grunted into the receiver.

A hauntingly familiar voice wafted out the earpiece: "Jed, it is good to hear from you again. It really has been far too long, my old friend. It's me, Diana."

"Diana?" Jed's mind took a minute to catch up with him and when he did, her voice found a face in his memories. "Diana Chiba? Princess!" He stood up suddenly, knocking his chair over.

"Well at least you haven't forgotten me," Diana giggled on the other line. "I've already placed a call to Darien, my brother. He's on his way to meet me right now. You should come too. I have the answers you seek as to what happened to the girls. I am in Shiba Park, next to the water fountain."

Jed slammed the phone down and grabbed his jacket off his hook. Midori was just coming in with the tea when he flew by her in a rush. "W-wait! Detective!" she called out in confusion.

Jed stopped, turned around, grabbed the tea from her and quickly gulped it down. "Sorry about that. It was good. I have to leave. Field my calls for me." He left his Secretary standing there in his office door, holding an empty teacup, her face red from befuddlement as she watched him rush out the door.

_Is it an emergency?_ she wondered, looking down at the cup.

sssss

They gathered around the Black Sun like a cloud of hornets.

Sailor Andromeda was one of those hornets; one of hundreds of Senshi that made up the individuals in the gathering. They once had nothing in common, but Cold Star had united them. Andromeda could not help but smile. Cold Star had given all of them true purpose, as he would to every Sailor Scout the Universe over. When he spoke, they all listened.

"Welcome Senshi," the Black Sun's voice was spoken not out loud, but inside their heads. In the center of its mass, a single, giant eye opened and fixed its gaze on its new following. "I am Cold Star. I have come from the depths of the Universe to make you all see the truth. I have opened your eyes to the true purpose of life. You have left your former, pathetic, wasteful lives behind to serve me. Surely you see by now that Senshi were not meant to be protectors, but conquerors."

"Yes, lord Cold Star." The gathering of scouts replied back in unison.

"But there are Senshi out there who have not yet felt the true power of Cold Star. There are those who still protect and coddle, rather than rule. We must work hard to make them see the light. They must be converted to our cause if our dream is to be realized."

"Yes, lord Cold Star." The gathering acknowledged. "You have shown us the light. We will carry your message beyond the stars themselves. We will show our fellow Senshi the true purpose for which they were created."

"Good," Cold Star shifted his huge bulk. "Will my servant, Gamma, come forward?"

The man who had found each Senshi and delivered the word of Cold Star to them floated forward. "What is your bidding, lord Cold Star?" he asked.

"Take a group of our converts and prepare to steal the Senshi from our next target Planet."

"What Planet is that, my lord?" asked Gamma.

"It is a pathetic, backwater Planet called Earth. Its intelligent occupants have not yet stepped out into space. However, this Planet harbors a valuable collection of Sailor Senshi that would be useful to my overall plan. Nine Sailor Scouts, who have an impressive array of powers and abilities. I want them by my side by the time I begin my offensive in earnest." Cold Star shifted his gaze out to his followers. "Pick only the most powerful ones. If half of what they say about them is true these Senshi could be useful."

Gamma nodded. He'd heard about how those same nine Senshi had dealt with the being called Pharaoh 90. Cold Star was right to want a group of Senshi who could accomplish that feat and live to tell about it.

"If it is them you want, then you shall have them," Gamma said aloud. "I will take Sailor Andromeda and Sailor Farion with me."

"Excellent choices," Cold Star approved. "Andromeda is the most powerful of the Senshi who serve me. Do not come back empty handed. Unless you have a valid excuse for failure, your fate will be... most unpleasant."

"I understand, my lord. No need to worry overmuch. You shall have your Senshi." Gamma summoned the Senshi he chose and led her back to his Starship. Sailor Andromeda took one last look backward at Cold Star. Nine more Senshi were about to see the light of his truth. Nine more Senshi to help when it came time to destroy the greatest of all deceivers: Galaxia!

sssss

Darien stood by the marble water fountain at the center of Shiba Park. Ann Ayakawa was with him. Ann had found out about the attacks on her own and had faithfully kept Darien company during the hard lonely hours of helplessness. She'd been with him when he'd gotten the mysterious phone call from someone calling herself Diana. She had told him to meet her there to find out what had happened to the Senshi. Of course it could be a setup, but what choice did he have? It was too obvious a lead to pass up. He had no choice unless he wanted to abandon Serena to her fate.

"Are you sure you got the right park? The right fountain?" Ann asked him as he paced back and forth impatiently. "I mean, who in this world is late to a trap they set up?"

"They're waiting for something. I know this is the right place. The directions were specific," Darien was inwardly fuming. Ann had a point about one thing. Why didn't they just get on with what they were planning? This had better not be a stupid game.

"Hey, isn't that Jed?" Ann pointed to the left. Darien looked to see Jed running up the park trail.

"Did you also get a phone call?" Darien asked the breathless Detective.

"Took the question right out of my mouth. Of course I got one," Jed replied. "So where is she?"

"She who?" asked Darien.

"Did a woman named Diana call you?"

"Yes."

"So where is she?" asked Jed.

"You talk as if you know her," said Darien.

"Of course I know her! And you should too! don't you know your own Sis… tuh… You really don't know?" Jed faltered.

"Did you just almost say 'Sister'?" Darien cocked his head suspiciously.

"Indeed, he very nearly did," said a voice from the opposite side of the fountain. The three of them turned suddenly to see three women and a guy looking right back at them. The man was dressed in a dark blue college student's uniform. He had brown hair and was almost as tall as Darien. The first woman had blue hair shot with silver that was cut short. She wore a black cutoff T-shirt with a white vest, a black tube skirt and knee-high boots. The second woman was taller than the other two. She had very stark blonde hair tied up in a bun and supported that way with geisha pins. Her outfit was a simple button down yellow shirt, opened down to the third button. Her skirt was pleated and colored white, matching her tennis-shoes. The third woman was dressed in a forest-green sundress with stringed straps and brown sandals. She was extremely curvy and her brown hair was long, braided all the way down to her knees and secured at the end with a green bow.

But most striking was the third woman's face. She bore an uncanny resemblance to Darien. Though her eyes were a deep green and her hair brown to his black, her facial features looked exactly as Darien might have if he'd been born a girl. The corners of her ruby lips curved higher as she caught his eye.

Darien got a headache just then and he put a hand to his forehead reflexively. He felt as if something inside were trying to get out. Flashes of déjà vu began to surface in his mind. It was as if he wanted to recall some kind of memory, but they were locked away. Who was this woman? Why did she seem so familiar to him? He was sure he'd never seen her before in his life.

"Thank you all so much for coming," the third woman said to Ann, Jed and Darien in fluent Japanese. "We were afraid you wouldn't take us seriously."

"Should we?" Jed asked her.

"That is up to you," the third answered. "But first we must introduce ourselves. I am Diana Chiba. This one here is Andrea Prower. The short girl with the blue hair is Alora McAndrews. The gentleman accompanying us is Andrea's brother, Robert Prower."

"Diana _Chiba_?" Darien emphasized her last name.

"That would be my name if I had been fortunate to grow up in this world," Diana sat on the edge of the fountain. Her eyes never left his. "Does my face not strike you, Darien? My Brother?"

Darien shook his head as Ann and Jed both looked at him. Ann looked surprised. Jed wasn't surprised at all, at least not from the look on his face. "I have no Sister," Darien denied weakly. "I was an only child and my parents died in a car wreck."

"You and I both know to what family I am referring," Diana said gravely. "I was the firstborn daughter of King Endymion. I am Sailor Earth, your Sister. The second guardian of Earth."

"Sailor... _Earth_!" Darien felt his mouth drop open in shock.

Earth bowed, touching two hands to her forehead in a gesture of what had to be respect. "Greetings, Brother. It has been a long time."

"This is unbelievable!" Darien felt a flurry of emotions. "I'm to believe that you're the Senshi of this very Planet!" he turned to the blonde. "And who are you, 'Sailor Sun'?"

"'Solara', smart-ass," Andrea replied cheekily.

Alora elbowed her and cleared her throat pointedly. Andrea bowed. "_Sailor_ Solara. Yes, I'm the Senshi of the Sun. Alora here is Sailor Stratus. She's from Earth. No one knows what her real purpose really is. Her power is wind and trust me she is full of plenty of hot air."

Alora bit the inside of her cheek and rolled her eyes.

"And you must be Solar Pilot," Jed finished, looking at the man. "It's been a long time, Captain."

"Captain?" Ann felt lost. "This is too much too fast."

"My story is a bit complicated. Just think of me as the Kamen of the Sun, Darien," Robert bowed.

"He's a mutt," Andrea quipped.

"Excuse me?" Ann blinked.

"What she means in her usual tactless way, is that I have mixed blood," Robert's face was red and he glared at his Sister. "Senshi and Kamen. Plus a little Human mixed in."

"So the Trinity is back," Jed folded his arms. "I was wondering just when you girls would show up, if ever."

"When were you planning on telling me about these people, Jed?" Darien asked.

"Oh come on, Darien. I thought they were dead. What would have been the point in telling you if I thought we were never going to see them again?"

Darien nodded, but he still didn't look thoroughly satisfied. Something about these newcomers frustrated him. "I get it. You must be the four friends Amy talked about in her emails to Serena. She'd told us she found new Senshi and a Kamen of her own. You came all the way here from Germany to see us? And how come you weren't taken with the others? Where's Amy?"

"Please, don't be angered, Brother," Earth begged. "If it is our past you wish to know, I will tell you. I want there to be no animosity between us."

"We're survivors of the Silver Millennium as you are," Solara began. "We were Senshi defenders, just like the ones you know. Earth, Stratus and I were the personal bodyguards of Queen Serenity. We were there when Serenity's daughter was born. We helped train her and the rest of the Senshi when they were dubbed Sailor Scouts."

"But that all changed," Earth continued. "Queen Beryl attacked with an overwhelming force. The three of us were in the first line of defenders, and we met with her Generals firsthand. Jedite was our nemesis in the battle for Earth."

"Don't call me Jedite," Jed replied. "I took my original name back when Serena turned me."

"So I've noticed," Diana smiled at him. "It's good to have you back. Jed was one of Endymion's most faithful servants when Queen Beryl turned him and the other three to the dark side. Their names were Kunzite, Zoicite and Nephrite."

Darien nodded. "Go on."

"We were forced to battle against Jed's forces to defend Lord Endymion's Castle. We were too strong for them. The Dark Earth army was thwarted again and again. The Earth Army had won… Until Jed sprang a trap on us."

Darien looked over at Jedite. "What did you do?"

Jedite seemed uncomfortable with the line of questioning, but he answered: "It's not one of my prouder moments. I used some of Beryl's magic to tear the fabric of space/ time, and pulled the three Senshi into it. They were transported to a different Dimension altogether, where the forces of that alternate reality should have, in theory, torn them to shreds."

Darien shuddered. "That seems like a brutal tactic to me."

"You can see now why I don't consider it one of my better acts. Even Kunzite was shocked at what I did. Queen Beryl, on the other hand, couldn't have been more pleased with me," Jedite shrugged. "Anyway, it would appear the trap didn't go off as planned."

"No, it didn't," Sailor Earth agreed. "That is because Sailor Pluto stepped in to pull us out of that nightmarish Dimension before it completely unmade us. The trauma of being there, however, even for a few minutes, had rendered us nearly mindless and on the brink of death. She took us to her Chronal Watchtower, and had her servant Charon make us better. With the three of us gone, Beryl took over the Earth, making it her base of operations for her push to the Moon itself."

"How long did it take you to regain your memory?" Darien asked.

"Nine hundred, thirty-seven years," Solara said. "We gained full awareness just half a century before the rest of you did, though not even we were told of Queen Serenity's Contingency Plan."

"With nowhere else to go, we left Pluto and journeyed to Kinmoku, seeking refuge there. We were taken in by Galaxia, and we have been living there ever since."

Darien turned to Robert. "What's _your_ story? You don't seem to figure into their tale very much."

"I was a Captain of the Lunar Defense Forces," Robert explained. "I served Queen Serenity directly. I stood by Serenity until the end came on the surface of the Moon, but Beryl was far too powerful for any of us. You should know that too. I was defeated, but she never finished me off. You showed up and distracted her. Later, I saw Queen Serenity use the last of her power to send the essences of the Senshi to the future. I knew they would have no memories once they were reborn and I didn't want to share that fate. I turned myself into pure energy and fled to the Sun where I rested until the Senshi returned."

"So you've worked with Galaxia until now?" Darien asked the Senshi.

"We tried to get to Earth, many times, but Galaxia either would not grant us leave or we had work to do that prevented us from going," said Earth. "When Galaxia sealed Chaos inside herself, she went crazy, letting herself get taken over by Chaos. Kinmoku was placed in a state of suspended animation. Every Senshi thereon lost their Star Seed in battle, including us. There was nothing we could do to help."

"We hated Galaxia for not letting us go home when we knew the other Senshi were there," Solara emphasized. "The final straw was when she refused to let us go and do battle with Dark Mercury. We consented to her wishes, only under the condition that she free us from her service. Princess Kakyuu fought on our behalf to get that promise fulfilled and Galaxia finally let us go."

"We would have come to Tokyo first, but an evil force growing in Munich drew us to Germany instead," said Stratus. "Naturally we were surprised to find Amy Mizuno there. The rest up until now is history."

Jed nodded. "Now for the important question," he asked tightly. "I'd better like your answers. Where are the Senshi?"

"Kinmoku," said Stratus. "Galaxia has invited them to a celebration there. She aims to test their abilities and try to teach them about their heritage. She wishes to make them better Senshi."

"Galaxia told us to stay here and protect the Earth while they were gone," Solara said. "She didn't really need to do that. I'm never going back to Kinmoku if I can help it. Bottom line, the Senshi are alright. Galaxia will make sure no harm comes to them and they'll be back in a matter of days."

Ann shifted in her stance. When Darien looked over at her, she had a weird look in her eye. "I dunno, Darien," she said. "Call me crazy, but I believe them."

Darien studied the three Senshi a bit more, then nodded in agreement. "No, I agree. I don't see why they would lie on Galaxia's behalf, given their story." He looked at Diana, still unnerved by how much alike they looked. There was no denying the physical evidence. "This is… mind-blowing. I have a Sister that I never knew about." He blushed suddenly and looked away. "I'm sorry… If I'm a little uncomfortable about this."

"Then you'll forgive me… If I try my best to erase your discomfort, dear Brother," Diana sauntered over to his side of the fountain and looked up at him. "You're so tall. So much like Father. You have his eyes."

"I see…" Darien really didn't know what to do. He just felt awkward all around. Robert watched his reaction and then caught his own Sister's eye. He knew the feeling. Finding out one's Sister was alive after many, many years _was_ rather unnerving in a way.

Andrea stuck out her tongue impishly and Robert rolled his eyes. Of course he'd much rather have a sweet darling Sister like Diana.

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT... CHAPTER TEN: THE ALPHA SENSHI LIBRARY


	11. The Alpha Senshi Library

CHAPTER TEN: THE ALPHA SENSHI LIBRARY

Amy stood next to the fish tank in her assigned room that sported a variety of aquatic animals she'd never before imagined existed. She had changed out of her Senshi fuku, the one she was abducted in, and now wore a blue gown with tiny sapphire jewels on the silky fabric. It made her feel luxurious and rich, not an altogether unpleasant sensation.

In the tank there were blue fish, with flowing rainbow tails. There were bright red, slender fish, with little lights all over them, and two dorsal fins. Amy wondered what evolutionary purpose those two fins were for. One fish had three eyes, but the middle eye was attached to the body only by means of a thin tendril at the crown of the head. The tendril looped this way and that, offering perfect peripheral vision. Some squid-like creatures floated about, translucent and phosphorescent, like little living lights.

Amy shook her head as she walked away and looked out her window. She and the Senshi had been put in one of the floating towers. She didn't know quite how they could float, and she didn't altogether feel comfortable with such tenuous knowledge. The technology she'd seen so far was incredible. There were endless possibilities of study on a Planet like this.

As she watched the hundreds of Senshi flying around the vast open sky, she sighed. This was turning out to be quite the weekend. Amy had thought she'd seen it all and just when she was secure in that knowledge, here came Galaxia to kill that idea. This world… She couldn't wait to explore it. Amy wondered if three days was nearly enough. Perhaps even a single lifetime wasn't enough!

There was a chirp from the doorway that interrupted her thoughts. She turned away and walked to the front entrance. Pressing a button on the wall, the door slid open. Standing in that doorway was Sailor Rainbow Prism, grinning from ear to ear. "Hello, Celestia," she bowed.

"Back so soon? You just left," Amy returned the bow.

"Earlier today you asked about a Library," Prism gushed. "I want to show you something that's right up your alley. Come with me," she bounded off, not waiting for a reply. Amy shrugged, stepping out of her spacious apartment. What could it hurt to do a little exploring?

Sailor Rainbow Prism was idling outside the building on a small landing pad. She smiled even bigger when Amy walked out. "Come on then. Daylight is wasting," she stepped to the landing pad and whistled through two fingers. Out of nowhere, a flying transport zipped around and touched down on the pad. "You've likely noticed the gravity already. How much do you weigh on Earth?"

"Um… About 51 Kilograms, last I checked," Amy replied.

"Well on this world you weigh about 88 Kilos," Prism laughed. "Not a good idea to try flying just yet. You could tire easily and fall like a stone. Even if you are a Senshi the fall will kill you from this height."

Amy looked down into the deep chasm between buildings far below. She could see no bottom. She had to look away because the vertigo was starting to set in. How do these Senshi get along so well living so high up?

"I believe you," Amy quipped, opting for the air car. "Where are we going?" Amy asked.

"No, no, no! It's a surprise," Prism giggled girlishly, and they were off with a burst of engines. Amy gazed at the instrument panel, wondering at all the controls. The buttons were all scripted in alien glyphs, and she shook her head as she gave up trying to understand them. It all looked like Japanese, but was much different.

The building that was their destination was little more than a five-minute trip by air. It was one of the larger buildings constructed near Habitat Park. They touched down on a similar landing pad, and Prism leaped out. She was at the door, waving some sort of ID card in front of a sensor by the time Amy was walking across the tarmac toward the building. She couldn't quite figure out Rainbow Prism. She was mature, obviously, but she had the manner and behavior of a child when she was excited. She seemed almost chronically happy. Hotaru was right. Part of this Senshi did strike her as similar to Rini.

Rainbow Prism continued to bound and skip her way ahead of Amy as they walked along a vast corridor lined with plants that resembled roses, but the flowers themselves were bigger than dinner plates, and every so often, much to Amy's surprise, they moved right before her eyes.

"Welcome, Amy Mizuno," the lilting voice brought her out of her thoughts. She turned and saw Prism standing next to Sailor Polaris, noting once again, Prism's short stature. She even looked like a child.

Amy forced herself to bow like they did. "Hello, Sailor Polaris," she returned politely. "May I ask what this is all about?"

"Certainly, this way please," Polaris began to lead her along another corridor. "The building you are in now is the Information Center of Alpha Senshi. A library, in layman's terms, of the vast knowledge and data collected by our civilization over countless eons. It is not a stretch to claim that everything you need to know about the Universe is listed here. I am to understand you are quite the learned one on your world?"

Amy took her attention off the iconically painted walls long enough to answer the question. "Well... yes, I suppose in Earth standards I am."

Polaris nodded. "This library is perfect for you. All the information is contained in computers. You simply pull up to one of them, tell it what you want to search, and look at everything that comes up."

Amy felt her heart begin to pound. Everything in the Universe contained in computers? She really did find herself itching to try it out. "That's all?"

"That's all." Polaris led her to an open console with a hovering seat floating in front of it. "To turn on the computer, you simply sit down at the chair. The CPU will begin by making an inquiry as to your search. You don't have to type anything, just verbally name your search, and the computer will respond in kind."

Amy sat down, and sure enough the computer came online. The words: "Greetings, revered Senshi, what is your search topic for today?" scrolled across the screen.

Amy considered the possibilities. There were so many. Some parts of her wanted to ask about the wildlife. There were parts of her that wanted to ask about the seemingly sentient plants she'd seen lying around. She wanted to know how the government was structured. She wanted to know about the city itself. So many possibilities.

"Perhaps you need some time alone." Polaris obviously saw her mental quandary. "If you need me, I'll be two floors down in the maintenance center. One of our computers crashed the other day, and it's taking us some time to fix the problem. Though if you have an immediate emergency, Rainbow Prism will be right here for you. Any more questions?"

Amy took her eyes off the screen and nodded. "What do you suggest would be good topic of study?"

Polaris' eyes became thoughtful. "How about the history of Alpha Senshi? That would be a great place to start."

Amy turned back to the computer. "History of Alpha Senshi, please," she said to it.

There was a pause, and a book icon opened up. Inside were several 'chapters', if they could be called that, which listed historical sections. Amy scrolled down the list with her eyes, until she fell upon an eye catching subject. The file read: "The Chronicles of the Sailor Wars." With a tingle of curiosity, she commanded the computer to open the file. After another short pause, she was at the text section of the history.

"Good choice," Polaris approved. "That was a critical juncture in our history. A very bloody period of time, I'm afraid. As much evil as there was in this Universe over the centuries, you'll find many of the Sailor Wars were fought between Senshi almost as much as between good and evil. The information is at least complete, but there aren't that many photographs, I'm afraid."

"That's alright," Amy said absently. "Thank you."

"I'll leave you alone now." Polaris bowed and, with light footsteps, walked off. Amy began to read.

Sssss

Habitat Park, stationed just a few blocks (if they could be called that) from the main palace of Alpha Senshi, was a wonder of galactic proportion. Each individual "tree" was the size of a redwood, possibly larger. They branched out and intertwined just like some of the forest trees Sailor Moon had seen flying over in Galaxia's ship. The main difference, and what made them so remarkable, was that each tree had homes carved into their trunks, but were still able to live on their own.

There were doors at evenly spaced intervals, with several windows. Some of those windows had Senshi leaning out of them, either staring at the strangers or else talking down to another Senshi on the ground. It was a full-fledged community built into an all-natural forest. Sailor Moon could not help but feel more of the same awe she had felt since she'd come out of Hyperspace to this world. With the ceremonies to start tomorrow, she had the feeling this was only the beginning.

Their tour guide was Sailor Kinmoku, the Environmental Minister. She pointed everything out with such intimate detail and care, that Sailor Moon wished she knew as much about her home world as much as this Senshi seemed to. Her appearance was also mesmerizing. The colorful pattern on Kinmoku's butterfly wings was hypnotic and her feathery antennae moved back and forth as if with minds of their own. When a passing Senshi called out to her, her antennae reacted first just an instant before she turned her head. Her skin also seemed somewhat shiny now that Serena saw it up close. Most of the team, she could tell, was thinking the same thing, though like herself, they were struck almost speechless by the place. The only one conspicuously missing was Sailor Pluto.

"Habitat Park is home to over 25,000 Senshi residents," Kinmoku explained. "The shortest and youngest trees are no less than 400 feet tall and they still have much growth to do. As these variety of arbors age, their branches will intertwine and merge together. Thus the many different plants of this forest will one day, thousands of years from now, form one gigantic organism. As they come together their intelligence grows. When all the trees are merged it has been noted that the resulting organism is sentient and wise even by our standards. But very gentle and tolerant of those that live within its bark."

"Like the Doom Tree," Lita whispered.

"Only a hell of a lot bigger," Mina responded.

"Any questions before we move on?" Kinmoku turned to the group.

"Uh, I have one. It's… sort of personal, so you don't have to answer it, but…" Hotaru stammered nervously. "Your wings… And your feelers… Are they… real?"

"That's the question I wanted to ask, but I couldn't get up the nerve," Serena admitted to her friends.

"I was wondering when that question would get asked," Kinmoku beamed at Hotaru. "I am a native Kinmokian. Unlike all these other Senshi who come from various worlds across the cosmos. I was born a native of this Planet. You may have noticed that the dominant form of life on Kinmoku is primarily Insect?"

"Do you mean to tell us that you yourself are part Insect?" Michelle broke in with amazement.

Kinmoku tittered out a laugh that sounded like a tiny buzz. "I am a Senshi far more than Insect, but my Planet's heritage is evident within my body. Every Senshi who's a native of their own worlds is anthro-pomorphically adapted to the task of being a Senshi, even ones from worlds where there are no Hominid forms of species. However, parts of their worlds are evident in them. You'll see as time passes."

"So anthro-pornographically speaking, you're a Senshi, but if you weren't you'd just be another bug?" Mina piped in.

"Anthropo--" Kinmoku seemed shocked, but then she laughed again. "You are so adorable."

"An-thro-po-morph-ic," Amara leaned down to Mina. "It means humanoid… sort of."

Mina blushed at her verbal miscue. I hate when I do that, she thought.

"I think your wings are beautiful, Sailor Kinmoku," Hotaru observed. "I can't help staring at them. I hope I'm not being rude by asking you that question?"

Kinmoku shook her head with a smile. "You'd be surprised how often off-worlders ask me. Really, I'm bewildered it took so long with you people. Are there any other questions?"

"Hey, where's Sailor Pluto, anyway?" Serena leaned over to Amara. "I haven't seen her since we were at the palace."

"Dunno." Amara shrugged. "But you heard how important she is here. Maybe she went back to the palace to talk with the Princess or something."

"You had a question, your highness?" Kinmoku asked Serena.

"No, no!" Sailor Moon gasped. "I was just asking about Sailor Pluto, that's all."

Their tour guide nodded and smiled. "She is discussing the activities for the next few days with Princess Kakyuu and Galaxia at the palace. I believe this evening you'll be hearing all about it."

"Thank you," Sailor Moon said. If nothing else, their reception had been rather pleasant so far. With few exceptions, their visit was rather unlike Sailor Pluto had talked about on the ship. Sure the place was fast, that was for certain, but she didn't sense any of the ambivalence Pluto had said was there. Maybe she could have overreacted a little. Or maybe she was biased.

The thought shook her like an earthquake. Sailor Pluto? Biased? On the face of it, it was an absurd notion. Sailor Pluto was the most mature, tolerant person she knew. But there was evidence pointing to the contrary in this case. Her rather chilly, no, downright icy reception toward Galaxia's announcement of coming here. She'd even claimed, as had Jedite in the past, that Kinmokians distrusted if not despised Lunar Senshi. Why would they say something like that? No one here so far seemed to hate them. Mostly detached curiosity, or warm generosity. The only Senshi on this world she had met so far who was openly malicious toward them was Sailor Nebula, that Minister of War. What was her deal anyway?

"Serena, are you coming?" Amara's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Right! Coming!" Serena jumped and ran to catch up with her friends, who had moved on without her.

Sssss

Amy finished her search with a bewildered sort of exhaustion. The passage about the Sailor Wars was highly detailed, and extremely entangled with all sorts of intrigue, deception, and battle descriptions. She felt like she'd read the Holy Bible, King James Version, from cover to cover in one sitting. She needed to sort it all out in her head, so she got up to take a walk around. Sailor Rainbow Prism kept herself nearby, but stayed silent to let her think.

They came to an open lounge area, with a broad window overlooking the central city. Amy stopped there and looked out again. She noticed again the large mirrors atop all the major buildings. It was a curiosity she decided to explore.

"Excuse me, Prism," she said to the shorter, colorful Senshi.

"Call me Violet," the other replied, bounding over to her side. "Do you have a question?"

"Yes. What are those mirrors I see atop all the tallest buildings in this city. I forgot to ask about them before. What purpose do they serve?"

"Communication!" Prism happily explained. "When there's a great event, the mirrors catch the sun and send the light in the form of a strong, bright beam from one mirror to the other. It forms different patterns for different occasions. You'll be seeing one of those displays tomorrow. Five pointed star means celebration. Six pointed star means harvest. Helix means the New Year. If all the mirrors are activated at once, not really forming a shape at all, just forming a tangled web of light, it means invasion."

"Invasion?" Amy looked at her sharply. "Has that ever happened before?"

"Only once," Prism conceded, "But that was a long time ago."

A chill went up her spine as she looked out again at the city. So even the city of Sailor Senshi wasn't immune to war.

Prism noticed her change of moods. Her facade of happiness slipped. "It's not likely to happen again, if that's what you're worried about. Especially not in the few days you're to be staying here."

Amy nodded, not really feeling her guide's confidence. If it was one thing she learned over the years, it was that evil could never truly be defeated, nor could it be totally prevented from striking. You make something evil-proof, a stronger evil would come along.

"Do you mind if I ask just what it is you're thinking?" asked her guide.

"Nothing… I just thought about something Sailor Pluto said to me," said Amy.

"What did she say?" Prism prompted.

"She said that there were other forces of evil out there in the Universe. Evil that was stronger than Dark Mercury. It's just hard to swallow, but if even Kinmoku could be invaded from beyond then I guess it's true. It's just really sobering."

Prism was the picture of seriousness as she too looked out the picture window. "Sailor Pluto's a smart woman," she murmured. "But she's not perfect. She may be wise, but she's hampered by one major flaw."

Amy wasn't sure she liked the direction this conversation was heading, but she had to hear what Prism was accusing her friend of. "What flaw?"

"She hates us," Prism said sadly. "Hates the Kinmokians. I wasn't supposed to mention this to any of you, but for some reason I feel like I can tell you anything. She hates Alpha Senshians because of what happened between our people."

"And what did happen?" Amy asked.

"Sometime ago, before most Senshi living today were even born, there was a Civil War on Alpha Senshi. It was not as vicious, nor as devastating as the Sailor Wars, but it was notable for one major event. It forced changes in our system of government because it exposed flaws in our old system, but more importantly, nine Senshi sought to gain power and use our racial might to impose a sort of mandatory protection over the Galaxy."

"Queen Serenity?" Amy said with awful certainty.

"Not Sailor Moon's Mother, no. But a distant ancestor," Prism sighed. "Her name back then was Sailor Serenity. She was the Archsenshi of Kinmoku, yet she felt that her power to save the Galaxy was too limited by our rules and standards. She was a radical by our way of thinking. She wished to harness the power of our people and create a protective empire among the stars. To create a rule in which the Senshi were ascendant, and watched over the lesser beings of the Universe. An autocratic state run by Senshi for the betterment of all, she thought. It was a road paved with good intentions, but her flawed thinking created a rift among us. Most Senshi even then did not wish to rule anyone."

Amy sat down, enraptured by the ancient story. "Go on, please. What happened?"

"Naturally there was an impasse," Prism explained. "The Council back then was not run by only nine. There was a Senate, if you will, of about 300 Senshi from all across the Confederation of Worlds, who spoke for the majority. The Archsenshi was answerable to these Senators, or so we thought.

"As it turns out, our book of laws was not nearly as specific as we would have liked at the time," Prism continued, looking out the window on the city. "Sailor Serenity was a great leader, a war hero, and rather intelligent in her own right, but wasn't terribly clever when it came to politics. She did have the foresight to surround herself with excellent allies, however. It was Sailor Celestia and Sailor Hydra who discovered loopholes in the system for Serenity to exploit."

"Celestia?" Amy half-stood in shock. "Th-that's… my ancestor! But who--?"

"Sailor Hydra would someday become Sailor Neptune," Prism anticipated her question. "Between the two of them Serenity was able to force laws through the Council even if she didn't have popular support. Her policies included the construction of a vast fleet of warships, the Senshi Space Fleet, which you saw in orbit overhead on your way here. Before then we had no Navy. Merely unarmed vessels to cart our agents around from Planet to Planet on missions.

"With the oratory abilities of Sailor Maxis Major (Jupiter), and Sailor Chrono (Pluto) in addition to the foresight powers of Sailor Tawnos (Mars), she could constantly outmaneuver the Council. But eventually another Senshi came forward who could not be silenced or outsmarted. She was young, but very powerful, and was a student of Sailor Serenity at one time. But she eventually was convinced that Serenity's ideals were far too radical a road to traverse and she opposed the Archsenshi. The young Senshi's name… Was Galaxia."

"Galaxia!" Amy gasped. "Just how long ago was this?"

"Fifty thousand years ago, more or less," Prism replied. "At the time she was no older than you are now. But because of her time as Serenity's apprentice, she had intimate knowledge of the how the Archsenshi operated. Galaxia betrayed Serenity, in order to prevent her from using the Senshi Race as a bulwark against unsuspecting billions. She revealed the plot of Serenity and her allies to the Council. The Council unanimously removed Serenity from the Archsenshi position. Her allies also lost their positions and were charged as criminals."

"This is unbelievable," Amy looked down at the floor. "To think our own ancestors tried something so audacious."

"The worst is yet to come," Prism explained. "Serenity and her nine allies were banished from Kinmoku. Sailor Serenity, however, was not finished. She rallied the armies of several worlds to her aid, calling upon them to help her remove from power those who plotted to seize their freedom away. She used her own rhetoric against her enemies, most notably Galaxia, who was elevated to Archsenshi after Serenity was banished. She did gather an army, and flung it with all her might at Kinmoku.

"It was a foolish move. So clouded was she by resentment toward her former student that her own friends, the other nine, could not reign her in. They did not abandon her, however. When the time came they fought and protected her in battle out of fierce loyalty. But standing against Serenity and her armies was the very same Space Fleet she had forced into construction, and an entire Planet of Senshi equally determined to repel her invasion. Poor Serenity never made it onto Kinmoku's surface. Her army was dismantled by superior firepower, and Galaxia herself, the former student, defeated her Mentor in one last duel.

"Serenity would have been charged with High Treason and executed, were it not for her allies. The 'Nine' as they were called, pleaded with Galaxia to spare her life in exchange for theirs. Galaxia, of course, had no intention of slaying her Mentor to begin with, for in private Serenity was an upstanding woman and capable of great tenderness. She was a Senshi who was overcome by ambition and thoroughly convinced of the rightness of her cause. In perhaps Galaxia's sole unpopular decision as Archsenshi of Kinmoku, she personally withdrew the charges of treason and exiled Serenity and her nine allies across the very Galaxy. They were relegated to a primitive Solar System where there was no technology for them and no nearby allies to draw assistance from to launch another offensive on Kinmoku. Serenity accepted her punishment this time. Perhaps she realized she had gone too far, or perhaps she too was moved by the selflessness of her friends. She quietly exiled herself to the world you now call Earth and its satellite Moon. She populated each of the nine worlds in that System and her allies took Senshi names that reflected the names of the local Planets, giving up their old identities."

"Diana told me much the same thing," Amy shook her head. "She never mentioned a revolution, though. This is so shocking. Serena will be so sad to hear about it." Amy thought of something just then. "But what does Pluto have to do with something that happened so long ago?"

"Sailor Pluto became Guardian of Time at a young age. As such, she might not have possessed the maturity at the time to use her new position very wisely," Prism told her gravely. "Pluto made a serious mistake and came back in time to the period of Serenity's revolution. I suspect her initial goal was to study this period and learn about her own ancestors. She was taken in by Serenity's brilliance and was convinced Galaxia was her enemy. Sailor Pluto also made the assault on Kinmoku that day, but her own Mother, the former Guardian of Time, stepped in and saved her before she could cause any future damage. To make a long story short, Pluto was punished for her actions by first Galaxia, and then her own parents. I cannot even imagine what that punishment entailed, but Pluto was left with deep resentment over the episode. 50,000 years may have softened Pluto's feelings on the matter, but she probably still resents her humiliation to a degree that she'll never, ever, feel totally comfortable here on Kinmoku."

Amy shook her head. "This is all so unbelievable," she said. "To think the Moon Kingdom was originally created under such dark circumstances."

"Dark? Galaxia doesn't think so," Prism confided in Amy. "In fact Galaxia has a picture of Serenity in her own room. Galaxia always admired her Mentor, even after the fact. She believes that Serenity merely was so convinced of the rightness of her cause that she would do anything to see it come to pass. Before she was Archsenshi, Sailor Serenity was known for her courage and her compassion. She was very highly respected, which may partially account for why she went on so long getting away with her policies as Archsenshi. That is why we bear you children no ill will. Your ancestors are guilty of no sin in Galaxia's eyes. Remember that. Besides… What's past is past."

Amy nodded numbly. "What should I tell Serena?"

"Nothing," Prism advised. "If anyone has a right to tell her the truth, it is Galaxia. And by revealing this past to any of your friends could jeopardize the real reason you all are here. Tomorrow begins the 'Eon Celebration'. Enjoy it as much as you can. Sailor Moon will come to know her heritage in time, as will you all."

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: Just when the Earth Senshi thought they couldn't be surprised anymore, more wonders are presented before them as the Senshi Games and the Eon Celebration gets under way in CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE EON CELEBRATION BEGINS!


	12. The Celebration Begins

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE EON CELEBRATION BEGINS

"I don't know what Sailor Galaxia sees in her!" Sailor Nebula fumed as she watched the security shots of the scouts' residence.

"What do you mean by that?" Sailor Singularity asked. "I think Sailor Moon and the other Earth Senshi were quite nice, if not a little naïve."

"I've been saying from the start that those Senshi are dangerous. They're not like us, andthus can't be trusted. Don't forget they are the great granddaughters of Serenity and her ilk. Galaxia is making a mistake bringing them here!" Nebula shut off the security camera and scowled at the blank screen.

"Galaxia believes they deserve it," Singularity pointed out. "Are you saying you have the guts to argue with her?"

"I'm no fool, Singularity. I'll keep my mouth shut around her about this. Galaxia hates when people press an argument too far. She's already made it clear that she's not going to be influenced by anyone. The only thing we can do is protect her from her own mistake."

"All the evidence points out that this won't be a problem," Singularity argued. "Sailor Moon is already renowned throughout the Galaxy as a pure hearted individual like no other. How can someone like that be dangerous?"

"They are descendants of the Moon Kingdom!" Nebula snarled. "Sailor Pluto in particular has a history of going against our will. Above all, they are off-worlders, and not Alpha Senshians. I'm going to monitor those aliens very closely, and if they make one mistake, mark my words, I'll be there to mop up the pieces!"

Sailor Singularity withdrew slowly. Her face broadcast her misgivings. "I pray you don't anger Galaxia in the process, Nebula," she pleaded with her. "I know you mistrust them, but you shouldn't make a move until they do something. And I don't personally think they will. Your Mother learned to let go of the past, why can't you?"

Nebula glared mutely at Singularity's backside as she left the room.

sssss

"The registry is almost complete," Jed slid three sheets of paper across his desk to the three Senshi standing on the opposite side. "The rest I need from you before I can submit these to City Hall. I need the fingerprints from all five fingers on your right hands, your signature by the 'X' on the bottom lines, and on a later date you'll need to be sworn in as citizens of Japan."

Diana Chiba smiled as she pressed her fingers delicately upon the ink pad next to her paper and began applying her prints from her right hand. The others followed suit and signed their names.

"What about Rob?" asked Andrea as she finished with her signature.

"He told me not to bother with him. He already has registry in Japan," said Jed.

"Don't ferget, he was watchin' the lassies all those years when they were growin' up," Alora told her in Scottish.

"Do you want me to punch you, 'lora?" Andrea didn't even look at her as she slid the papers back to Jed's side.

"Look, all I'm saying is Rob had a life here long before we did, honey," Alora finished in Japanese. "And you still haven't given me a good reason why you don't like my brogue."

"It just grates on my nerves, that's all!" Andrea exclaimed.

Jed cleared his throat and stood up, filing the papers in a white folder. "Alright. I'm going to go turn these in to City Hall. As far as I'm concerned you all may do as you like from now on. Just don't get arrested for a few days until these papers have had time to process."

"Alright! Nothing like a hard day's work. I'm going to go get me a drink or two," Alora threw her hands up and walked out of the office.

"Hey, wait up!" Andrea jogged after her. "I haven't had a good drink of sake in far too long."

"They're still just girls even after all these years," Jed shook his head.

"They never grow up. That's part of their charm," Diana nodded. She looked at Jed. "It's good to see you again too. You haven't changed much since the old days either. Tell me… How are you and dear Trista doing?"

"We're not doing much at all," Jed replied, walking with her outside the station to his car. "It's… complicated. Trista freed me from exile to help fight against Dark Mercury. But I ran into Hotaru for the first time. And she saved my life too. Both of them are extraordinary women and for the first time in my life I find myself indecisive."

"Ah, l'amore," Diana sighed in French. "You were never too good with romance, my friend. But don't beat yourself up over it. One of these days an answer will appear before you. Don't force yourself to make a decision too early."

"Tell that to Hotaru and Trista," Jed muttered sourly, walking around to his side of the car. "They're competing over me quite actively."

"Just like in school, non?" Diana beamed.

"Are you coming with me to City Hall?" Jed changed the subject.

"No, I think I'll go find my Brother again. We have so much to talk about," Diana waved. "Later."

sssss

The celebration began the next day.

The Sailor Scouts were unsure just how huge the event would be. They had been told repeatedly that it would be the biggest gathering of Senshi ever, and the celebration would be beyond imagination. When the ships arrived early in the morning, the scouts learned just how much beyond it would go.

For hours as the red sun climbed higher in the sky, the hundreds of Shuttles, each one a unique alien design, floated overhead. They were Shuttles from all over Senshi-protected Space, which was well over half the Galaxy. Hundreds of ships from countless Quadrants and Systems, carrying mind boggling numbers of Senshi, all to celebrate their heritage.

Sailor Moon was mesmerized by the diversity of the craft and the Senshi who emerged from the ships as they docked at the floating shipyard. She almost didn't hear the knocking at her door.

Opening the door, she saw Sailor Jupiter standing in the doorway. "Serena!" she said, excitedly. "I can hardly believe it! Have you been watching all the ships!"

"Yes!" Sailor Moon squealed. "It's unbelievable!"

"The others are all gathered in the lounge," Jupiter said. "They're all really excited! Come join us! Pluto told us something will happen soon!"

The walls shook with the engine noise, giving the illusion that the building was trembling in excitement. The scouts felt similarly excited. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars were still looking out the window. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were having a serious discussion with Sailor Pluto. Sailor Moon couldn't hear what the subject was. Sailor Jupiter joined the rest of the group in the circle of chairs. Serena followed after her.

"I don't know, Pluto," Neptune was clearly reluctant. "They have treated us with nothing but decency and kindness since we've been here, with few exceptions. I don't see where you're ideas are coming from."

"Listen to me," Pluto replied. "I'm not saying that they're going to attack us, but keep an eye out for the younger ones, will you? They could get influenced in some bad ways by the Senshi here. I'm not doubting this is a good experience for them, but don't forget I know the history of this place. There is bad blood between the Moon Kingdom and Kinmoku. I know Galaxia means well, but there may be others who don't share that opinion. Am I the only one who noticed Sailor Nebula looked as if she wanted to spit on us?"

"Now that you mention that…" Uranus scratched her head. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"I don't think anything bad will happen," Neptune said obstinately. "You can't convince me that Princess Kakyuu and Galaxia share those feelings and if anything happens I believe we can count on them to handle it properly."

Pluto said nothing, merely nodding. Anyone could tell she didn't like it here. But for what reasons no one knew. She would not say.

Eventually, as the sun was reaching its apex in the sky and began to descend toward afternoon, the ships tapered off. The rest of the activity quickly picked up. The sky was filled with flying Senshi. As the girls watched, enraptured, from their lounge room, the Senshi created a spectacle.

First, about fifteen Senshi flew upward and traced energy trails in the blue sky in fifteen different colors. They drew an intricate design that seemed oddly three dimensional and complex. None of them had any idea what it represented, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

No sooner did the first group finish, but another group picked up next to the design and traced their own in fifteen new colors. It went on like that for a while, until what looked like a three dimensional message was etched across the sky in more different colors than the scouts ever imagined existed. Amy hazarded a guess that it was the three dimensional representations of their home world symbols. Like a parade of nations at the Olympics on Earth.

The fireworks went off next. They launched from the tops of the buildings and exploded in sparkling wonder. They exploded in the midst of the message, and played light tricks on the building sides. More Senshi flew around and threw little pieces of solid energy about. The energy took the form of bubbles and they exploded into dancing lights that wove their way in and out of the skyscrapers with a life of their own.

For most of the afternoon, it went on like this. And it was a long afternoon. Most of the Senshi had noticed soon after arrival that the days on Kinmoku were roughly thirty-two hours long. Their guides told them they'd get used to it eventually.

"Yeah… Or we'll suffer a psychotic episode," Jupiter had muttered.

As the Sun was going down below the horizon, a floating platform appeared. The Princess of Alpha Senshi stood upon it, with Galaxia, the Starlights, and some of the Council members: Sailor Rainbow Prism, Sailor Singularity, and Sailor Kinmoku. Prism got up on a raised section of the platform and created a rainbow between her open palms. A crowd gathered around the platform just as Prism fired a beam of rainbow light at one of the mirrors atop the closest building. The mirror rotated to deflect the beam to another adjacent mirror, and so on, and so on, until the rainbow light came right back to the original mirror. The rainbow beam formed a Star pattern in the sky.

"Wow!" Amy quietly gasped. "That is impressive. Simple… But impressive nonetheless."

There was a collective roar from all the Senshi as they cheered and gathered around the Princess. A reverential cry went up from the Senshi: "Kakyuu... Kakyuu... Kakyuu!"

"Earth Senshi," someone called behind them. Everyone looked to see Sailor Nova Proxima standing at the door. Her formal attire included several gold ornaments. A gold coiled bracelet on her forearm, two gold hoop earrings, and gold lipstick that clashed nicely with her bright red hair. "Come on out. It's time the Universe got a good look at all of you. It's your time to shine."

Feeling slightly sheepish, the Senshi looked at one another and followed the Nova Senshi's leader outside. Another platform awaited and carried them all up to the center of the hoopla. Everyone made room for the second platform and looked curiously at the strangers.

"Yalla... Cirga... Alpha Senshi!" she motioned toward the lights in the air. "Hella Sirjaha Mahayashi... Bishojou Senshi... Sailor Moon!"

A white spotlight immediately sought out a very shocked Sailor Moon. She found thousands upon millions of eyes on her, and she gulped in nervousness.

"Go ahead, Sailor Moon. It's alright," Proxima encouraged. Sailor Moon was eased a little by the smiling Senshi, and she made her way out into the open. She ventured out slowly, and the Princess, as if sensing her uncertainty, motioned for her to approach.

Sailor Moon stepped across the short span between platforms, trying not to look down at the abyss between buildings. Sailor Rainbow Prism and the other Councilors landed nearby. The Princess put her hands on Sailor Moon's shoulders and kissed both of her cheeks. She turned Sailor Moon to look out at the crowd and showed her to the rest of the gathering. The spotlight made her want to close her eyes against the glare, but she kept them open, determined to make a good impression.

The silence was shattered by a new roar of respect and devotion. The warm feelings surged and washed over Sailor Moon like an ocean of love. At that moment, she ceased being Sailor Moon the outsider, and for the first time, felt she was a part of something much larger than anything she'd ever been a part of before.

When the noise died down, Sailor Rainbow Prism leaned in and translated for her. "The Princess just introduced you to the family, so to speak," Prism said. "Her message was: 'welcome to beautiful Alpha Senshi! Now meet our newest Daughter, the pretty soldier Sailor Moon!'"

"Daughter?" Sailor Moon inquired.

"It is a title of devotion given by the Princess to only the most honored guests at any celebration. In the unlikely event anyone makes trouble with you or your friends, she will have to answer to Princess Kakyuu directly, and therefore to Galaxia to face punishment." Prism leaned away and smiled again.

Sailor Moon was elated. So much so that the opening ceremonies seemed to fly by her like a breeze. There were more words of welcome from the Princess, followed by a fireworks display that lasted for hours, and then a huge party down in Habitat Park. Lights like the ones ignited from the energy bubbles were hung over the tree leaves. There was food and drink to be had, and Sailor Moon gladly dug into the delights. The other Sailor Scouts happily participated too. Sailor Jupiter danced with a few other unknown Senshi from an unknown realm. Sailor Mercury and Mars met a set of twins named Sailor Emerald Star and Sailor Ruby Star and chatted with them. Sailor Venus talked with Sailor Rainbow Prism, and seemed taken in completely by all the beautiful strangers. Violet introduced her to other Senshi who were friends with her.

Amy even found herself welcomed with open arms. She was challenged to a friendly game that was very much like chess. She learned the ropes swiftly and even surprised many by winning in only the second game. She soon drew a crowd of admirers as she beat Senshi after Senshi in the game.

Sailor Pluto kept up a polite front, but did not kibitz as openly as the others. She simply maintained a watchful eye on her friends. She drank from a sweet potion from the selection of Senshi brews and scanned the crowd that stretched on for miles and beyond. Despite her fears, she couldn't help thinking that the people of Alpha Senshi really did know how to throw a party.

Sailor Uranus was at the buffet table, surrounded by more Senshi admirers. Rather she looked sort of pinned there and couldn't get away even if she wanted to. She flirted and smiled, and made promises she knew she wouldn't truly keep. It seemed young Senshi were not all that different from the sweet schoolgirls on Earth.

"So you're Sailor Uranus," a buttery voice drifted in from behind her.

Uranus turned and was struck nearly senseless by a wondrous looking Senshi with purple hair. Her uniform was made of some material that looked like gossamer and was almost totally gold and violet. Her skin was flawless and seemed almost a bronze color. Her green eyes flashed deeply as she approached the Uranian Senshi. Amara was transfixed. She was beautiful! Almost indescribably so!

"You must be," the Senshi said, holding her hand out gracefully to Uranus. "I've heard rumors about you since the day you arrived here. A pity I couldn't come to see you for myself until now. The rumors don't do you justice at all."

"You have me at a disadvantage," Uranus said huskily, kissing the offered hand gently, never breaking eye contact. "You seem to know about me, but I don't know who you are."

"How silly of me," the woman's smile could have melted the Polar Ice Caps in two seconds. As it was it made Amara break out in a hot and cold sweat all at once. "My name is Sailor Kalenin. My given name, however, is Saralyndrea. For the sake of convenience you may call me 'Sara'."

"Saralyndrea," Uranus repeated. It certainly rolled off the tongue pleasantly. Calling her 'Sara' seemed almost demeaning in comparison. "My given name is Amara Ten'ou. You can call me Amara."

"Thank you," Saralyndrea picked up a chalice from the table and held it up before her. "Would you care to take a toast with me? To fateful encounters? After that, I would very much like to know how good of a dancer you are."

Amara secretly thanked God that she'd allowed Michelle to drag her to those ballroom dancing lessons during her Middle School years. She didn't know how Kinmokians danced, but she was confident enough to learn. "To fateful encounters?" she asked, clicking her glass to Sara's gently. "I'll drink to that."

Sailor Kalenin had, by her very presence, caused every Senshi around Amara to shrink away like whipped puppies. As if they all realized they were beaten before the game even began. Amara scarcely noticed their withdrawal. This Senshi's elegance and beauty were intoxicating! Like Michelle would be with purple hair and about three times lovelier!

Sailor Neptune had gone her own way after Uranus had been inundated by the drooling young Senshi. She trusted her lover to act responsibly. Nothing, however, could stop her from flirting, so Michelle gracefully backed away and let her flirt. Michelle soon received her own attention and basked in the glow of adoration by lots of taller, more masculine Senshi, than the ones that beset Amara at the other table.

However… The presence of Sailor Kalenin had sent a chill up her spine and caused her to look over her shoulder, even from fifty feet away. She saw the most lovely woman she'd ever seen cozying up to Amara. Sailor Uranus, for once, seemed struck dumb. That was something that didn't happen every day.

"Are all of the Earth Senshi as lovely as you?" one of her callers asked.

Michelle tore her attention back to her situation. She would trust Amara no matter what. Even if that woman was far… far… superior… in looks… and grace……. Michelle felt her blood pressure rise. That didn't happen often. She wasn't one to get bent out of shape over Amara's suitors, but as she looked again after a brief interlude and saw the two of them had disappeared from the other table, her heart hammered in her chest.

"Hey, Michelle," Mina stumbled over to where she was. She was clearly a little bit tipsy. "Introdushe me to shome of these hunksh. Come on, don't hog all the guysh."

Sailor Neptune smiled at Venus and put a steadying hand on her shoulder. "No one here is a man, Mina," she chuckled. "I think you better slow down. This Senshi brew is powerful stuff."

"Oh, nonshensh," Mina slurred slightly. "I'm fine, I'm fine…"

"And who is this pretty one?" one of the handsome Senshi leaned in and cupped Mina's face in her hand.

"Back off, Sari. This one's out of your league," Sailor Starhealer butted in and pulled Venus away. "And she recently promised me a dance."

"Yaten!" Venus whooped and hugged Starhealer. "Come on! Let'sh party!"

"Do take care of her, Yaten," Michelle asked.

Yaten winked and walked off arm in arm with Mina. Michelle looked over her shoulder one more time and saw a crowd gathering not far away. Suddenly she didn't feel like leading the locals on. The thought of Amara dancing with someone as lovely as that Senshi she saw stirred feelings in her that she seldom felt. Honest to goodness jealousy. She politely excused herself and went elsewhere. She would talk to Amara later.

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: The Senshi Games kick off in Alpha Senshi and the Earth Scouts are swept up into competitions of skill and cunning against their Kinmokian neighbors. Also, the myserious and lovely Sailor Kalenin seems to have cast a spell over Sailor Uranus. Just what her motives are is something Sailor Neptune is determined to find out. In... CHAPTER TWELVE: THE SENSHI GAMES


	13. The Senshi Games

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE SENSHI GAMES

"Contests?" asked Sailor Jupiter the next morning.

Sailor Rainbow Prism was once again among them. The scouts had all become quite familiar with her presence lately. A few were even starting to like her company. She was a virtual ray of sunshine and always had an answer for all their questions. She smiled at Jupiter. "Games," Prism corrected her. "Senshi Games. Competitions of skill, knowledge and ability, similar to your world's Olympiad. This sort of thing is held at every Eon Celebration. It's the only time we of the Senshi Confederation can actually get together and compete."

"What kind of games are we talking about?" asked Amy.

"That depends upon yourselves," said Prism. "Whatever your interests or desires. Whatever you excel at the most. It's no mere boast to say that we pretty much have something for everyone. Fights, races, strategy games, music, artistic, even team sports. As a matter of fact there's one game in particular I've been asked to sign you up for."

"And what if we refuse?" Pluto asked from her corner. "I wonder… Just how Galaxia would react if we actually said 'no' to one of her little requests?"

"With all due respect, Galaxia does not make this request," Prism's tone took on just the slightest bit of ice as she addressed Pluto, but then cleared up again. "The people do. Almost every Senshi out there has heard of you girls and wants to see you in action. In fact… There are three in particular who've caught the eye of most of them."

"Who?" asked Mina. "Is it me?"

Prism giggled. "Each of you have an admirer or two, but the most popular ones seem to be Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Uranus."

"Ohhh…" Mina huffed. "I hate that there's no actual guys on this world."

"Not that it would make a difference if there were," Birdie whispered to her Sister, who merely nodded with a sly smile.

"Amara's been pretty popular with the ladies," Lita said. "So that's no surprise. And I guess Serena being who she is, and her reputation that makes sense. But why me?"

"Your fight with Sailor Nova Hercules back on Earth has circulated here over the past two days," Prism said knowingly. "You might not realize it, but fighting skill is among the most highly coveted skills that Senshi look at. No one has ever so much as bruised Hera in battle before. I suspect she started the rumors, but there are a lot of Senshi who want to see just how tough you are."

Jupiter blushed. "I don't really want to fight, if that's what they want to see," she murmured.

"That's your choice. What the people want to see, particularly from the three of you, is participation in a little sport we call 'Hyperball'."

"Oh, Prism. No!" Trista blurted out. "That game is far too violent and rough for these girls!"

"Violent? Rough?" Serena looked perplexed.

"What are we, kids?" Amara asked Trista. "So what about this game?"

Michelle looked at Amara. "Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

"I suppose that taking part would be better than sitting out these Senshi Games and not playing a little, right?" Amara explained to everyone. "Everyone's got their skills, so let's see how we stack up. You mentioned, races. What kind of races?"

"Vehicle, track, natural flight, obstacle course, no-holds-barred relay… Just to name a few," Prism offered. "Whatever you're best at."

"Going back to this 'Hyperball' subject," asked Lita. "What's that about?"

"Hyperball is the pastime of Senshi," Prism explained. "It's a Senshi sport, but has grown in popularity all across the Galaxy. Basically, it consists of two teams trying to score on one another by throwing, kicking or carrying an energy ball across the opposite team's goal."

"Oh, ok. So it's like Rugby?" Amara nodded.

"It's more than that," Trista interrupted. "Why don't you tell them about the tackling, punching, kicking and slamming that are allowed in Hyperball, Prism?"

"Hyperball is a full contact sport, I will not deny it," Prism told the rest. "The other team may try whatever means necessary to strip the ball from your possession and just about anything is legal. Except for energy powers. A Senshi cannot utilize her magical abilities, only physical. Flight is legal since the goals are suspended one hundred feet above the ground. There is no out of bounds since the boundaries are protected by a force field. Play is about 45 minutes Earth time. We only need three of you to volunteer because the Starlights, Yaten and Taiki will be playing on your team to offer support and experience against Senshi who play this game all the time."

"It sounds kind of out of my league. I was never any good at sports," Serena waved the offer off.

"I'd have to think about it," Amara said. "Does it interfere with any of the races for example?"

"The Hyperball slot is being set aside at a completely independent time from the other competitions because many Senshi on this world will want to watch it," said Prism. "And Princess, if I may implore you…" The colorful Senshi walked over and gently grabbed Serena's hands. "Life is all about trying new things and taking adventures. You must understand there are many in this Galaxy who have come to see you. Think of them almost as fans. You don't want to disappoint them, do you? Also, many years from now, when you look back, what will you want to remember most about yourself and your experiences? Opportunities like this come once every eon if you know what I mean. It would mean so much to all of us. And there's not one Senshi in this world who would want to do you harm."

"Don't let her push you into it, Serena. It's up to you," Trista insisted.

"No, I think she's right," Amy spoke up in Prism's defense. "In fact I'd like to take up the offer."

"Amy, really!" Serena asked her friend. "But you hate sports!"

"Well, 'hate' is a strong word, my friend," Amy smiled. "But you're right, I've never been exceptional at athletics. Gym was always my weakest subject except for swimming. But I feel I honestly want to give it a try. And I want you to as well. That's part of the reason I'm volunteering right now. You're not going to leave poor little me out to dry, are you?"

Many in the room at that moment were surprised. Serena especially. "Amy… You really have changed since you left last year," Serena said. "I guess if you're volunteering, I'd look like a total coward if I refused. Why not?"

"Who are we playing against?" Lita asked.

"The Nova Senshi have volunteered to be your opponents," Prism said. "They're pretty good at the sport themselves, but they're mature enough and respect you enough to hold back if need be."

"The Nova Senshi?" Lita said. "That means Nova Hercules will be there, huh?" her voice was suddenly determined.

"Yes."

Lita glowered. "Hercules… Alright. Sign me up. I've been wanting a rematch with her."

"Uh oh. I know that look," said Mina. "Better tell the Nova Senshi to clear out of the way."

Prism was beaming now. "That fills out the starting lineup we need, but anyone else is welcome to join up," she said to the rest.

Amara was thoughtful. "Like I said, I'll consider it. How much time do I have to make up my mind?"

"The 'Hyperbowl' is tomorrow," said Prism. "You have until game time if you wish. No rush. In the meantime, I can take you girls to theRegistryNetand show you the list of competitions. Feel free to sign up for as many as you want, but be mindful about conflicting times. You don't want to be in two places at once."

sssss

"Serena, don't do it," Trista urged when everyone else had left the room.

"Do what? You mean the game?" asked Serena.

"You have no idea how rough that game is! You could get hurt very badly!" said Trista. "If you truly don't want to do it, just speak up about it. Don't let these… _Senshi_ pressure you into anything!" Serena noted that the word 'Senshi', as it came from Trista's mouth, sounded forced, as if to replace a much harsher word that she secretly wanted to say.

"Trista, I want to ask you something…" said Serena uncertainly.

"What is it?"

"What do you have against this place?" she asked.

Trista was struck silent, but her face was ridden with guilt and anger. She turned away suddenly. "Nothing. I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"You've been so cold and distant since we left Earth," Serena pressed on. "It's not like you. The others see it too. If there's anything you want to tell me, you know you can. I may not be good at much, but I can listen. You're my friend and I don't want you to be hurting inside."

Trista sighed and forced a smile. "Thanks for the offer, but this is one problem you can't possibly understand." Serena thought that the Pluto Senshi slipped rather quickly from the room after that.

_What could possibly be wrong with her?_ She wondered.

sssss

That afternoon the girls broke up to take part in their own contests. Prism had not exaggerated at all. There truly was something for everyone. A few couldn't make up their minds as to what to do. Many of the competitions they'd never heard of before and Prism patiently explained the ones that they asked about.

Finally it was settled that on day one of the Senshi Games, each of the scouts would do the following: Sailor Moon was going to tag along with Sailor Jupiter to watch her take part in the Cooking Contest. Prism promised Serena she could get in as a Judge, and Serena was sold after that. Sailor Mars wanted to test her psychic powers, so she signed up for 'Star Tarot.'

Celestia signed up for two competitions. The first was an academic contest full of scientific trivia. The second was the same kind of three dimensional chess game she'd been playing last night at the reception. Sailor Mercury jumped into the competition as well. "I want to play you in chess again, even if it is some weird alien version," Birdie told her. "The last time we played didn't really decide who's really best."

Uranus wanted to race, so that's what she did. She signed up for the track contest, a 500 Kinmu race. One Kinmu was the equivalent of three meters, so it was about 1500 meters in length. That one was a footrace. The other race she signed up for was 'Steed Racing'. A 'Steed' was a specially modified hovercar made for long distance racing. Top speed was said to be upwards of 250 Quintecs. A Quintec was 1.5 miles per hour or thereabouts. So top speed was roughly 375 miles per hour. The race would be held in a stretch of Canyon just to the west of Alpha Senshi and run the entire length, which was more than 700 miles long!

Neptune couldn't resist signing up for the musical competition, especially when she learned that the Violin was a standard instrument for participation. Her musical contest would take place during the track race, so she would have to miss Uranus' foot race. However, she'd still get to see the Steeds run.

Sailor Saturn didn't know what to do. She didn't consider herself terribly talented at anything, so she simply signed up as a Judge at the musical competition Neptune was participating in and promised Mars that she would drop in to watch her Star Tarot competition too.

Venus, of course, took the modeling contest, though she'd admitted to a certain amount of animosity about competing against all these Senshi who were quite formidable in looks and grace themselves. Still, she just had to see how she stacked up. And Pluto? She didn't go with them to the selection board. In fact no one knew where she was just now. It was a mystery.

sssss

Amara slid into her full body spandex for the footrace and exited the luxurious locker room, which was more like a professional baseball player's locker room with a sauna, a steam room, a carpeted floor, wooden lockers, and lots of cushioned furniture lying around.

"I feel like I'm taking part in the 2084 Summer Olympics," Amara said sarcastically as she walked along the tunnel toward the noisy arena where the track was located. "Everything here is so posh and so much more advanced than anything on Earth."

As Amara emerged into the sunlight, the Stadium noise greeted her like a wall of cheers. The Stadium itself was large enough to fit three 1500 meter tracks and just about every Track and Field event that existed on Earth. She estimated about 200,000 people could fill this place to capacity.

"I'd say they were compensating for something, except there aren't any men on this world," Amara muttered.

Her competition was made up of some very impressive specimens of women. Some of the Senshi were taller than she was with very long legs. A few others were smaller, but tightly packed with stringy muscles in their arms and legs. One look at her opponents told Amara all she needed to know. In High School Track, Amara had been fast enough to beat even the boy runners at her level. She didn't learn until later it was because of her Senshi powers giving her a physical advantage. She knew she would not enjoy that advantage here. Against Humans she could blow away the competition while barely breaking a sweat. Here she would have to go all out from start to finish.

She lined up for her race after several qualifying heats took place. Amara raced in the third of five qualifiers and advanced to the final by placing second. Her time was second fastest among the racers. Only one Senshi was superior in speed… The one she'd lost to. Now she was setting up in the blocks directly next to that Senshi.

"You're quick," the platinum blonde haired Senshi complimented her as they stretched. Like Amara, she had shortish hair, though a little bit longer than Amara's. She had a body like Marion Jones. "You're one of the Earth Senshi, aren't you?"

"Yes I am," Amara switched to stretching her right leg. "So what?"

"I was sure I'd never seen you before at this competition. The last Eon Celebration was my own first Senshi Games. I'm the defending champion," the Senshi told Amara. "My name is Sailor Lightray. I'm sure you're aware of the significance of that name."

"Big deal," Amara rotated her upper body with her hips locked in place. "Surely you're not going to tell me you're as fast as the speed of light."

"Oh, no. That's physically impossible, even for a Senshi," Lightray laughed. "Still, if I use my Senshi powers to boost my speed I am capable of breaking the sound barrier. Good thing for you this competition prohibits Senshi powers."

"Is there a point to this conversation?" Amara turned the other way, but kept her eyes on her opponent.

"I couldn't help but notice you last night with Sailor Kalenin," Lightray said in a low voice. "Good for you. Kalenin really only focuses on the most extraordinary of Senshi for her flirtations. She's watching you, you know."

Amara's heart erupted in a storm of pounding and she looked around, blushing. Lightray laughed at her reaction. "She has that effect on all Senshi. She's like… A walking aphrodesiac, that woman. Her only power seems to be to make herself completely irresistible to men or women across the Galaxy. You are lucky that she's even bothered to notice you. But I'm going to win this race and earn her attention."

"I don't care about her. I'm going to win this race because I want to," Amara said indignantly. "I already have a lover."

Lightray laughed again as she put her feet in the starting blocks. "That doesn't matter. Not to Kalenin anyway…"

Amara processed those words for a few moments in her mind before the official stepped up to the line with a pistol and a black and white striped Senshi fuku. "Runners! Get on your mark!" she shouted.

Amara cleared her mind. She must think about the race now. She was going to win this race for Michelle, even though she was away at another competition right now. She tried to pretend she was watching, yet somehow her mental image of Michelle got mixed up with lingering after-images of Saralyndrea…

"Get set!" the Starter raised her pistol skyward.

The runners all raised their legs and hips up and tensed for a fast start.

The Starter fired what looked like a flare out of the pistol and the fifteen runners who qualified for the finals took off nearly dead even! The flare continued to fizzle upward until it reached a certain height and exploded into a shower of bright red sparks like a firecracker.

Amara didn't even notice. She headed down the front straightaway dead even with her direct competitor, Sailor Lightray. By the time they reached the first turn, the two of them had opened up a little distance with the rest of the pack. The roar of the crowd began to pick up in anticipation. Apparently Lightray had some huge fans present.

The second turn came up and Lightray and Uranus opened their advantage even wider. Third place was in a group of her own, but she was falling steadily further behind. The other twelve were passing one another in surges, but couldn't keep up even with third place it seemed.

Sailor Uranus and Sailor Lightray opened up the back straightaway neck and neck for first. They had already run 500 meters. Another 1,000 to go. Amara felt her legs begin to burn, but kept her mind focused.

This girl is fast, I'll give her that, she thought as she tore along at a full sprint.

About halfway down the back stretch, Lightray turned up the juice and gravitated over toward the inside lane. Uranus fell behind for the first time, but kept the distance close by following her to the inside. Most of the other runners followed suit.

When turn three came about, Lightray's pace slowed, but so did Amara's. A little more space opened up until they came out of the third turn with five feet separating first and second. Amara was shocked. She wasn't used to getting beaten in a foot race by anyone. Already her lungs were burning from her exertion.

Come on, Amara! Only 300 meters to go! She thought desperately.

Lightray turned her head to the side slightly to glance over her shoulder, smiled, and then suddenly increased her speed even more. Sailor Uranus gasped as the distance between them began to grow insurmountable. She was a solid lock for second by this point, but first was dwindling rapidly as turn four loomed.

All too quickly they were back on the front stretch and less than fifty meters from the Start/Finish line. Amara's legs felt like rubber. She hadn't run competitively in a long time and it was showing. Perhaps if she was in peak form she might have had a shot, but Lightray's speed was amazing.

Then… a miracle occurred!

Less than ten yards from the Finish, Lightray suddenly seized up in her lane and favored her right leg. Her right calf muscle bulged obscenely, causing her to arch back and decrease her rate of speed by more than half. Amara saw her opening. She merged into the second lane and bolted as fast as she could. Five feet from the line she overtook Lightray and practically dove over the tape with her hands stretched out in front of her.

Lightray crossed the line half a heartbeat later and stumbled off the track immediately, clutching at her right leg painfully. A bunch of feminine looking Senshi who at once looked like her groupies and her trainers, swarmed around her, offering towels and lots of water.

Sailor Uranus stumbled to a stop, breathing so hard her throat was on fire. She'd never been pushed like that before! She had to bend over and put her hands on her knees because she was starting to feel dizzy.

"Sosukou Umata! Earth no Senshi… Sailor Uranus!" the voice over the Stadium's Public Address system announced in Senshido. It appeared she was the winner. The crowd was going wild.

"Sosukou Shimata! Yutaro no Senshi… Sailor Lightray!" the voice announced again. "Sosukou Echimata! Kinmoku no Senshi… Sailor Prius!" One didn't have to be a linguist to understand she was announcing the top three to the crowd.

Amara stood up, feeling a bit better. She looked back and all of the runners crossing the line seemed to have one or more girls fawning on them or taking care of them. Amara felt a bit sheepish standing there all alone. Usually Michelle would be here in this capacity.

She wasn't lonely for long, however. A swarm of screaming young Senshi came buzzing around her, giggling and congratulating her in many different languages. Mostly Senshido. Amara put her arm behind her head in embarrassment and laughed as they thrust towels and drinks at her. They were all jostling for position. One girl reached up with a wreath of flowers and draped it over her shoulders like some kind of winner's bouquet.

Wonder how popular I'd be if I hadn't won? Amara thought, seeing the jealous stares of some of the other runners.

Suddenly the Senshi quieted down and parted away. Amara looked and saw that they were now backing away from the newest arrival. Sailor Kalenin's purple hair shimmered in the sunlight and her bronze skin was absolutely flawless under her toga-like Senshi uniform. She carried a white towel in her hands and proceeded to extend it out to Amara with a bow.

"Congratulations, Sailor Uranus. I knew you could do it," said Saralyndrea.

Amara wasn't even aware she'd reached out and taken the towel and now was sponging her sweaty face with it. "Oh… I got lucky. Lightray cramped up just before the Finish line. If she hadn't I would have been a distant second." Amara thought of something else just then. "And I think if she'd won you'd be handing her this towel instead of me."

"Do you think me so shallow, Amara Ten'ou?" Kalenin's smile deepened. "Do you think I'd so quickly forget the dance you gave me last night?"

And just like that Amara felt foolish. Her heart was pounding again. What was it Sailor Lightray had said about her before the race? Like a walking aphrodesiac? Amara began to realize the truth of those words as Sailor Kalenin escorted her to the winner's circle to receive her trophy.

Kalenin's very touch turned Amara's resolve into butter.

NEXT: Sailor Kalenin continues to weave her magic on an unsuspecting Sailor Uranus, while Sailor Neptune is left with fits of jealousy. All this while Uranus competes in the biggest race in the entire Universe! CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE KINMOKU 700!


	14. The Kinmoku 700

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE KINMOKU 700!

Katsie began to sweat as the cards were dealt to her again. She had won nine hands in a row, and had advanced to the final match of the first round. Her opponent, Sailor Esuna, looked stonily calm, and the girl who was Sailor Mars felt like a child next to a pro. She could hardly contain her excitement, or her nervousness.

Star Tarot was a little like Earth Tarot, except it was made into a competitive game on this world. The four suits were Grails, Scepters, Pens, and Lockets; Sailor Mars noted that the four suits were based on what every Sailor Scout used to transform into Senshi form. Like Earth Tarot, there were Emperors and Empresses, and numbers from ten on down, and so forth. There were four elemental cards, Sun, Moon, Planet, Healers, and Fools, and there was even a Death and Life card.

The game was fairly straight forward. The winner was the person who drew the best possible future. Each player was dealt fifteen cards, and they were to remain face down. Next, without looking, or concentrating their mental powers on the cards, the players had to call out what their "side" was going to be. The choices were Good or Evil. The final tally of the future readings were based on that call. Under this rule, it was generally thought to be a good idea to call the same "side" as the opponent did to minimize the risk of losing. However, that tactic was double edged, and Sailor Mars had won better than half of her games using the Good side. She decided to call 'good' once again.

Esuna narrowed her eyes, and Sailor Mars felt the slight probing of her mind. Perhaps sensing her nervousness, Esuna called 'evil.'

Next, the players had to arrange the cards in a certain pattern. Some were better in certain sides than others, but that order changed from game to game, making it completely random. It was up to the player to decide which one felt just right deep down inside.

Katsie swallowed her nerves and concentrated. Star pattern had helped her win a few, as did the Imbic one or two times. Cross was a simple set up, but Sailor Mars didn't feel anything from that area. She tried to force down the desire to clench her muscles as she searched the psychic plane for an answer. She felt the subtle touch from what felt the most likely to help her, and she arranged them with her eyes closed, as was the rule.

Sailor Saturn stared transfixed at the competition. The center where the Star Tarot game was being held was completely silent. No one said a word. Hotaru was almost afraid to breathe in fear of being accused of causing too much noise. Somehow the silence made the competition that much more tense.

When Katsie opened her eyes again, she saw Sailor Esuna sitting behind a cross pattern. Sailor Mars had hers set up in Glyphic configuration. It was quite intricate and complex, and worked only with the best hands. Mixed with her excitement were equal parts fear. There was always the probability that her psychic powers had misled her. Even the most experienced psyche had incorrect hunches. She simply needed to have faith.

"Turn the cards," came the command from Sailor Vyrane, the tournament official. Katsie had heard somewhere earlier that Vyrane was the only undefeated champion in the history of Star Tarot and she was a referee because she was famous for always being able to sense when someone was cheating.

Sailor Mars was only slightly aware that they had drawn a crowd. From their mental murmurs, she sensed that Sailor Esuna was also a defending champion and herself had only lost five times in her career. She felt a lump form in her throat. She had only a year's worth of experience in this, and though she'd absorbed most of what the former Sailor Mars had known, she didn't feel any more empowered. She was a rookie amongst champions here.

Sailor Esuna turned her cards over and scanned them satisfactorily. She had a Ten of Pens; an Emperor of Grails; an Emperor of Scepters; a Tower; a Six of Pens; a Seven of Lockets; a Four of Lockets; a Fool of Scepters; a Death card; a Six of Scepters; a Four of Pens; an Element of Ice card; a Random Outlook; a Ten of Lockets; and an Empress of Grails.

Sailor Mars let out a breath of defeat. That set of cards was almost perfect for the 'Evil' side. The only flaw was that the cross pattern took away from its effectiveness. She would need a damn fantastic 'Good' side to beat her. The odds of that were pretty slim.

"Sailor Mars, proceed," Vyrane instructed with what could have been a knowing smile on her face.

It was her turn to flip the cards over. She revealed them all, then let out a cry of joyful shock. She had an Empress of Lockets; an Emperor of Lockets (which gave her a royal pair, a high valued combination in either side); a Life card; a One of Scepters; a Ten of Grails; a Nine of Grails; a Five of Pens; an Air Elemental card; a Fire Elemental card (her own Senshi power, which gave it extra value); a Good Fortune card; a One of Pens; a Four of Scepters; a Healer of Love; an Empress of Pens; and a Sun card. It was an absolutely _perfect _set for 'Good' and double for the _Glyph_ configuration!

Sailor Esuna knew it too, and slammed her fist down on the table. Glowering at Sailor Mars, she stood up and left the chamber. The crowd howled and patted Mars on the back and complimented her psychic skills. Deep down inside, Katsie had to wonder just how much of it was psychic skill, and how much of it was pure luck.

"Wow, Katsie! You did it!" Sailor Saturn embraced Sailor Mars tightly. "You out-psyched that Sailor!"

"I… I… wow…" Katsie was blushing. "H-how did… I…?"

"Sailor Mars, congratulations," Sailor Vyrane, the official, broke in. "I have never seen a flawless hand drawn for 'Good' and 'Glyph' at once. There are those who would have said it was impossible until today."

Katsie felt her blood flow into her face at the compliment. "I know you might not believe this, but… I have no idea how I won…" She didn't know why she felt like crying just then, but resisted the urge to simply burst into tears. "I… I was just… lucky…"

"Fortune had something to do with it," Vyrane told her. "But not _your _fortune, Sailor Mars. What you had just tapped into was your true psychic vein. Anyone with an ounce of psychic ability can tell a fortune. Those who are proficient can foresee _all_ fortune. But only a true psychic can _manipulate _fortune. I dealt you those cards. There is no way you could have changed what was on the cards, correct? But you tapped into your powers and let your feelings flow with the draw. You manipulated your fortune to come out with the best possible outcome. Sailor Esuna lost because she uses her powers to decide her next move based on what she reads from her opponents. A solid strategy, but utterly useless against a true psychic like yourself."

"You sound like you've played her before," said Sailor Saturn.

"Before Sailor Mars… Those previous five losses she had all came against me," Vyrane smiled. "Now she has lost to another. Her anger over losing is petty, but understandable."

Mars stood up and bowed to Vyrane. "Please… Teach me how to tap into that power at will, Master!"

The crowd around them laughed uproariously, causing Katsie to blush like a firecracker. Vyrane herself concealed a tiny laugh, then put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "You have to go home in a couple of days. There is nothing that I can teach you in that short amount of time. Don't worry. If you'd done it once you can do it again. Just remember to always keep a clear mind and go with the flow. The rest is up to fortune…"

Sailor Mars didn't reply. She was simply lost in amazement. _I only need to have faith in my powers_, she thought to herself.

sssss

Sadly, Hotaru had to break off from Katsie and rush over to the Concert Arena, where Sailor Neptune was scheduled to compete. Being everyone's personal cheerleader was tiring work, but a task she was happy to fulfill.

After it was over, Hotaru accompanied Michelle from the musical competition, where Sailor Neptune placed fourth out of 200 competitors, to the Steed Race that Amara was scheduled to line up in.

Also coming along were the two Starlights. Yaten and Taiki had rather wisely, some would say _unfairly_, ganged up on the competition in the musical contest and taken first and second place with Yaten's fancy keyboard work and Taiki's drum renditions. Michelle didn't mind losing. Not even before Yaten informed her that placing fourth among the Senshi made her one of the best musicians in the Universe.

"Besides, you're definitely the number one Violinist," Taiki added.

"I hear Amara won her footrace earlier," Hotaru told Michelle. "Such a shame we missed it."

"Oh I'll bet she wasn't lonely," Michelle said with a smile. "No doubt half of Alpha Senshi was there waiting for her with a towel."

Yaten rolled her eyes. "Yeah, about that… When do you guys go home? Because she's crimping my style."

They all laughed.

sssss

The start area for the Steed Race, also called the 'Kinmoku 700', was in the southern portion of the Continent on which Alpha Senshi was located, about five miles due west of the great city. Thousands of fans packed the stone benches that surrounded the starting line. The stands were actually carved out of the walls of the Canyon in which the race was being held.

Amara was always up for a little competition, but the narrow and rocky Canyon made her think twice. Especially when, during Steed Qualifying, a couple of Senshi drivers lost control and slammed into the sides of the Canyon. The Steeds would be destroyed and while the vehicles were insulated enough that the crash could not kill a Senshi, the drivers still had to be helped out of their cars.

Sailor Kalenin had accompanied her from the other stadium where Amara had won her footrace. She must have seen the look in her eyes, for Saralyndrea squeezed her fingers around Amara's hand. It was only then that Amara became aware that they were holding hands. Amara blinked, as if waking up, and took her hand away, even though doing so felt almost painful.

"Do not worry about the Steeds," Kalenin's smile once again tore through Amara's resolve. "The worst injury that's ever happened in a Senshi Steed Race is a few broken bones. The cars are heavily insulated and Senshi bodies can handle amounts of punishment that would be terminal to most other species.

"I've been in auto races before and crashed," Amara said bravely, though secretly she swallowed the lump in her throat. _But I've never been in a race this fast, _she finished inside her head.

"Of course you have," Saralyndrea brushed a lock of hair over Amara's ear with her finger. "I imagine you can do just about anything you set your mind to."

"Stop that," Amara flinched away.

"Stop what?"

"That!" Amara grabbed Sara's hand and clutched it tightly, pulling it away from her hair. "It drives me crazy."

"I imagine so," Saralyndrea giggled knowingly.

Amara blushed. "That's not what I meant!"

"I know," said the other Senshi, again with a knowing tone of voice. Amara felt really exposed right now. "Look… I gotta qualify. I'm going to go find the Steed that I borrowed this morning from the directory."

"Those cookie-cutter machines? You'd be better served racing the Canyon with a bicycle," Sara sniffed. "Those broken down old rentals will guarantee you only a mediocre finish. If you want to _win_… come with me."

Suddenly curious, Amara followed Saralyndrea down to a special secluded garage area. It seemed this was a place only for owners of their own Steeds. A lot of custom built models were being tinkered with and worked on by Robots and Senshi crewmen. One of the garage doors was yet shut, and it was to this one that Sara led her to. With the touch of a thumbprint scanner, the door slid open to reveal a sleek, shiny, and powerful looking Steed. Amara whistled. She was no authority on Steeds, but she knew enough about racing machines to know that this one was probably one of the faster ones. It just had that souped up look to it that Earth hotrods had.

"Her racing number is 18," Saralyndrea explained, leading her around it in a circle. "I call her 'temptation'."

Temptation, huh? Amara thought, stealing a glance at Sara's body for the countless time, then turning away yet again in shame. "How appropriate," she accidentally muttered aloud.

"Quite," Saralyndrea took no offense. "She sports an Ozmian Drive Yard 'Yaz' 350 Sublight Engine. Holds 32 gallons of Hydronuclear Fuel, and gets 100 Kinmu to the gallon. You'll have no trouble running the entire race on one tank, unless you spring a leak. Her cockpit is open, but the T-1600 Force Field Generator in her trunk will protect you from crashes better than the Chromo-Titanium Alloy her skin is forged from."

Amara raised her eyebrows. She had absolutely no clue what all Saralyndrea had just told her, but it sounded impressive. At least the fuel mileage she could figure out. "Hydronuclear Fuel?"

"It's a form of Nuclear Fission in which the fuel source is liquid, hence the 'Hydro' portion of the name. It's very stable. It will only go critical when exposed to millions of degrees of heat, which you can only find in the heart of a Star. Its waste is recyclable, so there's no environmental impact," Saralyndrea sounded like a car-show salesman. "I could go on all day about it, but I'll simply say with no exaggeration that this Steed can take you to the winner's circle. All she needs is a driver."

"And you want me to drive it!" Amara was incredulous. "But isn't this your vehicle?"

"I'm only a collector," Saralyndrea smiled coyly. "I'm giving her to you."

"I can't accept this!" Amara stepped back in shock. "Why me?"

"You're racing to win, are you not?" Sara walked around the vehicle and pressed in close to Amara.

Amara gulped. "O-of course," she said, thrown off her stride. She couldn't recall any time where other women made her so tongue-tied. Not since the first time she'd met Michelle in Junior High. To think that someone besides Michelle could have this effect on her was something Amara could never have anticipated.

"I insist you drive it," Saralyndrea wrapped her arms around Amara's left arm and Amara could feel her breasts squeezing in. "Do not worry about wrecking it."

"Listen… Sailor Kalenin," Amara disengaged the other's arms. "I think this flirtation has gone on too long. I have to get back to Michelle. Just forget about this race and everything else. Find another driver if it's important to you. Count me out." There was no way she was going to cheat on Michelle. No matter how beautiful. No matter how sultry. Sailor Kalenin was just trouble waiting to fall. Amara was going to wash her hands of this business.

This was what Amara wanted to do. But as she reached the door, a sudden weakness in the knees, followed by a tightness in her chest struck her. Amara disregarded the feeling until she exited the garage and suddenly the yearning became unbearable. She fell to her knees, breathing heavily. What was this feeling? Why did she suddenly want to turn around and go back? Why was her body betraying her like this!

"I don't have time to seek out another driver, Amara Ten'ou. And I certainly don't want to just let you walk away and forget about me. Not before I get what I need from you," said the voice of Kalenin from behind. The terrible sweet scent of Kalenin's perfume wafted into Amara's nostrils and relieved the heartache somewhat

"Bitch… What have you done to me?" Amara stood up shakily.

"Do you like my pheromone?" asked Sailor Kalenin. "You've been smelling it all day. Ever since we first met, in fact. What you no doubt thought was perfume has slowly been seeping into your senses, bonding you to me. It has reached the point where you cannot be far from me without feeling a profound sense of withdrawal and depression. You _need_ me now. You will continue to need me until I am done with you."

"So what Sailor Lightray said was true," said Amara, clenching her fists, but unable to raise her resistance any further. "What are you? You go around seducing various Senshi for what purpose? Do you simply enjoy tearing couples apart? Or is it you just like capturing whoever you want and having your way with them like it's some sort of game?"

"I am a Kalenir, Sailor Uranus," said Kalenin. "My people are cursed in a most unusual way. We are unable to experience true passion and pleasure during intercourse. We can copulate to reproduce, but can exact no joy from the experience such as other sentient beings can. Try to imagine making love to your precious Neptune and being unable to feel the unchained ecstasy you no doubt get from that experience."

Amara blushed. "B-but Michelle and I haven't…"

Sailor Kalenin pressed a finger to Sailor Uranus' lips. "That is what I go through. So we Kaleniri have developed an alternative means of getting pleasure. To experience the ultimate bliss that others take so much for granted, we steal it from them. We find the people with the deepest love for their partners and we syphon that emotion. This is why Kaleniri are so often referred to as 'Love Vampires'. We do not crave blood or the soul or even energy. We feed upon lust, passion, desire… all of those things that describe the experience of making love."

"But why me?" asked Uranus, incredulous at what she was hearing.

Kalenin wrapped her arms around Amara's neck and smiled. "Because the love you hold in your heart for Sailor Neptune is stronger than any love I have yet encountered. And because of my nature… I cannot resist the urge to feed upon it."

"Let go of me, now!" Amara said through gritted teeth, trying to pull her mind free of this snare she was in.

"Yes, that's it. The more you resist… The more you yearn to run back to your precious Michelle… The higher your love soars," Kalenin raised up on her tiptoes and kissed Uranus on the mouth. Something exploded in Amara's head and suddenly her whole body tingled with electricity. It took half a second to realize what was happening, but she could not stop it. Her body trembled and shuddered as her breathing became short and rapid. It was obviously affecting Sailor Kalenin as well, for she moaned softly before breaking off the kiss.

Sailor Uranus fell to her knees in utter amazement. Did she just _orgasm?_! She looked around in embarrassment, but thankfully no one was nearby to see them. She felt outraged that Sailor Kalenin was using her like this, but so much of her wanted to do it again that she couldn't even express her anger.

"Ahhh… That was exquisite," Kalenin sighed. "But that was only the tip of the iceberg. I know you have more to give me, Sailor Uranus. Rest assured you shall enjoy this every bit as much as I do."

Amara wanted to say "fat chance", but as her body slowly came down from the hormonal high induced upon her, she realized that she was hooked. _She's got me,_ Amara thought with some dread. _I fell into her trap hook, line and sinker. Michelle…help me!_

sssss

"I got us the usual spot on the 'Snake Way Turn'," Yaten said, returning with a handful of tickets. "We'd better hurry though. The drivers are already beginning practice. The race begins in an hour."

"'Snake Way'?" asked Hotaru. "What's that?"

"Only the most exciting set of turns on the entire course," Taiki piped up. "A set of seven curves so sharp and narrow that Steeds must run single file and only about half the drivers make it through unscathed."

"Oh my," Michelle's heart started to tighten nervously. "And they have to run through that?"

"Hey, it's dangerous, I'm not going to lie to you," said Yaten. "But don't worry. No one dies in Steed Racing. Especially Senshi."

"So, Yaten. Who did you have to seduce to get those tickets?" Taiki asked.

"Sailor Ozma was operating the ticket counter," Yaten smirked.

"Ooh. You dog!" Taiki elbowed Yaten with a sly wink.

"Sailor Ozma?" asked Michelle.

"My biggest fan," Yaten grinned toothily. "She'd do just about anything for me as long as I promise her backstage tickets at the next Three Lights Concert."

sssss

Only twenty-four Steeds went through the formality of qualifyingfor the Kinmoku 700. In fact all racers were in automatically as long as they registered. In total there were fifty-seven Steeds lined up on the starting line in three-wide formation. Amara sat in the number eighteen Steed in forty-third place, having not run in qualifying. Hers was a provisional spot. She went through the safety checks that Sailor Kalenin's crew instructed her to go through.

"Don't forget your helmet, my love," Sailor Kalenin handed the racing helmet to a still dazed Sailor Uranus as she sat at the starting line in Kalenin's custom Steed. "And take it slowly at first until you get the hang of it. I don't want either my machine or especially you to come to any harm."

"I understand," Uranus took the helmet and placed it on obediently. Ever since that 'kiss' in the garage area, she had felt numb and unable to disobey Sailor Kalenin. She knew what was going on, that she was being controlled in a way, but she couldn't summon up any hatred or indignation. In fact every time her eyes met Saralyndrea's, she wanted another kiss. Despite the fact she knew it was wrong.

"And above all be very careful," Saralyndrea leaned over and kissed her on the corner of the mouth. "I believe in you."

"Senshi! Start your engines!" came the voice over the public address system. The crowd that had poured into the stands came to their feet and the air became alive with the sound of rumbling motors and the smell of burning exhaust.

"I'll meet you at the finish line," Sailor Kalenin faded into the stands. Sailor Uranus started her engine with the push of a button. She'd gone over the controls of the Steed with the crew in the hour before the race. She was fairly certain she knew what to do, but still she was a bit nervous. Already her body was longing to be with Kalenin again. Amara knew that feeling would get worse unless she did something about it. She hated the thought, but knew that the only way to be with Kalenin again was to finish the race.

"Michelle… If you choose to hate me after today, I wouldn't blame you," Amara said shamefully. "But I can't help myself."

sssss

"Here we are," Yaten announced proudly, holding her arms out expansively over the curvy Canyon called 'Snake Way'. Michelle could instantly see the appropriateness of the title. The turns were looped so tightly that the curves nearly touched one another at their apex! Some of the looming cliffs looked paper thin and the opening between the gorge walls were dangerously narrow.

"Oh my word!" Michelle gasped. "You can't be serious! My Amara is going to be running through this!"

"You know I wish we knew what number she was," Taiki looked at the electronic leader board nearby. "We could follow her through the course and root for her to get a good qualifying time. She might have already run."

"No, I haven't heard anything about any devastating, fiery crashes occurring yet," Yaten took out a pair of Zoom Lenses and put them on.

"_That is not funny_!" Michelle actually exploded.

Yaten recoiled from the sudden wrath of Sailor Neptune.

Michelle blushed and folded her arms, looking back at the deadly Canyon. "I can't believe I let her drive this stupid race," she muttered.

"And now, the Steeds have started their engines," said the race broadcaster from the public address. "Here is your starting lineup. Starting from the Pole position…"

"Ah, here we go," Yaten said. "We should hear her number soon."

The four Senshi listened for a while as the field was read off. The giant video monitor on the other side of the track displayed each driver getting ready for the race in their own way. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of driver introductions, they heard: "And in forty-third position, driving the Number 18 Steed owned by Sailor Kalenin, Sailor Uranus!"

"Yaten, did you hear that? _Sailor Kalenin's_ Steed?" asked Taiki

Yaten blinked. "Hey, good deal right? Sailor Kalenin collects those things, Amara's probably got the best Steed out there."

Taiki narrowed her eyes. "You _know _Kalenin, Yaten. Why do you think she would let Amara drive one of her custom Steeds?"

Yaten thought for a second, then she slapped her forehead. "Oh… Right. The Vamp…"

"Vamp?" asked Hotaru.

"Vampire," said Taiki to the young Senshi. "Sailor Kalenin is from Planet Kalenin, home of the Kaleniri. Kaleniri feed off the erotic energies of other races to give them power. They're known as 'Love Vampires' by everyone else."

Michelle tore her attention away from the screen. "Sailor Kalenin? That's the woman who Amara danced with last night."

"Uh oh," Yaten sighed. "Did Amara seem different to you last night or this morning, Michelle?"

"She seemed… detached," Michelle thought about earlier. "When I asked her about who she danced with she could only tell me a name."

Taiki nodded. "Yup. She's been had," she muttered.

"Nonsense," said Hotaru. "Amara would never cheat on Michelle with anyone. She flirts, but doesn't get involved. If anything this Sailor Kalenin is probably in _her _power."

"You don't get it, do you?" Yaten replied, still watching the video of Amara careening through her qualifying round. "Kaleniri have sex only to propagate. They're unable to experience passion and pleasure in the sexual sense naturally. So they use their hormonal powers to tap into the passion and love of other races. Saralyndrea is the Senshi version of her people, and her power of suggestion is all but irresistible. It doesn't matter who you are. If she wants you, she'll get you. In fact some say the stronger the love between two lovers, the more satisfaction and power she derives from that love and the more irresistible she becomes."

Hotaru gasped. Michelle's eyes darkened. "Is that so…?" she rumbled.

"Well it's not permanent," Taiki said in a resigned tone of voice. "I'm sure Amara will be normal again in a week or two. Kalenin only takes what she needs, then moves on. They all do that. Love Vampires I mean."

Michelle didn't answer. She glared down into the Canyon as Uranus' Steed began steering wildly through the sharp turns. Taiki looked worriedly at Neptune as her aqua hair began to dance and her blue-green aura began to surround her body.

Whoa! Never seen her like that before! Taiki thought with a gulp.

sssss

The Kinmoku 700 got off to a faster start than Amara was prepared for. Wedged between two Steeds on either side, the group of racers first took off down a long straightaway that allowed them to build up to the full rate of speed. Even with her helmet on the sound of the air jets was deafening. She wrestled with her steering yoke, barely in control, screaming at the top of her lungs in terror and exhilaration at the same time for the first 50 Kinmu. After that she had no voice left and she concentrated all her energy on staying alive through the first winding canyon turns.

Time and time again she nearly destroyed her Steed. So concentrated was she on staying in one piece that she slowed subconsciously and was passed by the fourteen drivers who'd started behind her. By the time Amara began to grow skillful enough to compensate for obstacles and read how her vehicle handled turns, she was in last place and trailing the next Steed by more than four steed-lengths. First place was already close to a hundred Kinmu into the course.

Another ten minutes and Amara was getting the hang of it. At first she had been on the edge of control and toeing the line between life and severe disability. But then she began to get a feel for the Steed and learned to let up on the accelerator and punch the air brakes at just the right time to catch the turn. By the time she came up on the famous 'Snake Way' portion of the course, she was prepared to catch up on the Steed in front of her and take a positive position.

However, the course took a turn for the worse. The turns became almost impossibly tight and Amara had to slow herself down to less than a hundred Kinmu per hour to make them. Even then her chassis bounced off some rocks and even the repulsors had trouble compensating. Sparks flew from where the Steed actually brushed the Canyon wall!

Three tight turns and the wreckage of another Senshi and her Steed loomed before her.

"Get down!" Amara shouted.

The injured Senshi gaped at the oncoming vehicle and ducked as swiftly as possible, allowing the Steed to barely fly over the top of her. Amara jerked her ride around the wreck and slowed down even further to make the last of the four Snake Way turns. This turn was so tight, Amara almost slowed to a complete standstill and she still brushed the wall a tiny bit.

Snake Way came to an end and once again a sizeable deficit had opened between fifty-sixth and fifty-fifth place. At this rate she should just as well forfeit the race. Amara was enough in control now that she began to think about being competitive. She quickly punched her accelerator and began taking risks on corners in order to catch her first quarry.

sssss

"Number 18 exits Snake Way with the worst time in Kinmoku 700 history, folks!" said the announcer as Amara's Steed roared onward in hot pursuit of fifty-fifth place. "Looks like she's finally getting the hang of her ride. I don't know who trained that driver, girls, but she needs to fire her trainer."

sssss

Yaten didn't know what was more spooky. The fact that Sailor Uranus almost died on close to thirteen separate occasions, especially when she entered Snake Way. Or the fact that through it all, even though Sailor Saturn was squeaking and crying out and covering her face at every close call, Neptune simply stood on the edge of the canyon, brooding.

Taiki noticed it too, and her chatter died down as the two Starlights sat there.

sssss

Amara finally caught up to, and surpassed, fifty-fifth place at about the halfway point. At that moment the leaders were so far ahead, she knew she had no chance of winning. She just had to get as many positions as possible for respectability. Her pride was already hurt at the notion of second place in what should have been her specialty. Now she was fully in control and no sooner did she clear last place than did she aim for the next driver in line.

sssss

One hour later...

"Whoa! I don't know what happened to eighteen, girls, but the purple Steed is winging her way through the field now. There's the battle for forty-fifth place… And it's done! Number 18 is now in forty-fourth place, only one spot behind her starting position. One or two more passes and she can actually call this a productive race, people!"

"That announcer is annoying," Yaten tried to strike up conversation. "She's been ragging on Amara all day."

Michelle didn't say anything. Hotaru was starting to notice her apparent lack of reaction and said: "Michelle? Are you alright?"

"I'm going…" Michelle murmured suddenly.

"Going? Going where?" asked Taiki.

"_She'll _be waiting at the finish line," Michelle said acidly. Yaten didn't even know she was capable of acid.

"Now… Michelle. Let's not jump the gun here. I don't think Galaxia would appreciate starting trouble now," Yaten jumped up.

Michelle spun and glared at her. All thoughts of talking her out of it drained from Yaten's willpower.

"That's quite alright, Yaten. Go tell Galaxia that Sailor Kalenin is the one who started the trouble," she smiled suddenly. It was not a smile of glee or of kindness, but the type of smile someone who's out for blood and aims to enjoy it gets. Yaten turned pale and stepped aside ad Michelle marched on by and headed directly for the finish line.

"Michelle! Wait!" Hotaru begged, running after her.

Yaten and Taiki looked at one another, then bolted after Michelle as well. Neither of them were going to miss the Catfight of the Century!

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: Even as the Senshi Games are in full swing, evil is gathering from within the Galaxy. Cold Star's Senshi agents are spreading out and beginning to convert or destroy more and more worlds. The Senshi are still largely unaware of the growing storm, but the Kamen are beginning to see an evil trend and send a team to investigate. CHAPTER FOURTEEN: SOMETHING EVIL IS GOING ON!


	15. Something Evil

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: SOMETHING EVIL IS GOING ON!

"I used to take Serena out here on the lake all the time," Darien said as he moved the oars smoothly along the water's surface, propelling the rowboat along. "This is where we met Rini the first time. It's also where we shared our first real romantic kiss together. I mean one that didn't occur in uniform in the heat of the moment." He chuckled. "I can't believe I'm talking about my love life with a stranger."

"I am no stranger, Brother my love," Diana sat in the opposite seat on the bow. Her legs were folded beneath the seat with her skirt bunched in her lap. Darien noted how her feet were always bare, her hair always braided, and her clothing always simple and carrying a homespun look. She had no makeup on, nor did she seem to need it. "Perhaps you tell me these things because you feel it is natural to do so?" she smiled enigmatically.

Darien felt himself blush and he looked down. "Maybe you're right. When I first saw you, I felt something. Something more than just the jolt at how you resembled me. It's like something in me opened up that was always closed before. Something I was never even aware of."

"Similar, I should think, to the revelation of your true past when you first heard of it," Diana surmised. "How I envy you sometimes, my love. Sometimes I wish I could have been reawakened with innocence. To have grown up with you all over again."

"Don't," Darien sighed. "If you'd been born into my family… You might have died in that car wreck along with my parents…" As always he forced his mind to think of something other than that sad day when he heard of his Mom and Dad dying when their car plunged off that road and into the water. And even though he knew better. Even though he knew they weren't his real parents, he still felt their loss because at least they he could remember.

"Perhaps…" Diana reached a hand over the side of the boat and swirled her fingers in the water. "But still I envy you. I haven't felt a Mother's touch in over a thousand years. For you the memory is much more recent."

"I have trouble just grasping a thousand years," Darien admitted.

"Someday you will not," Diana smiled at him. "Someday you and your beloved will rule this world. And I cannot think of any two who are more suited for the task."

"We have so much to catch up on," Darien admitted, blushing again. This woman seemed to have the power to disarm him with her smile. It was like she was staring right through his skin, into his mind.

"Take your time. I am going nowhere, my love," said Diana.

"That phrase…" Darien scratched the back of his neck nervously and looked down. "Do you really think it's… appropriate to call your Brother 'my love'?"

"But you are. Or are you thinking perverted thoughts, Brother dear?" Diana shook her finger at him playfully and winked.

Darien caught himself glancing at her cleavage and looked away suddenly, feeling like he'd been caught red handed. Diana's ensuing laugh, which sounded almost like a breeze blowing through silk, made his whole face turn red. He realized ruefully that he _had _been thinking dirty and he felt shame.

This is going to take some serious getting used to, he thought, rowing onward.

sssss

"This looks like a nice place," Alora explored the interior of the unfurnished apartment with Andrea and Robert in tow. "Four bedrooms, one for the each of us. A good sized kitchen. Rob can get the double-bed, because when Amy comes back he and her are probably going to want to--"

"'Lora!" Robert warned with a fiery blush.

Alora laughed and danced her way into the living room. "Now where would be a good spot for the television?" she mused aloud for everyone's attention.

Robert leaned against the door frame leading to the living room and opened his wallet. He looked again at his picture of him and Amy, taken a few months ago in Munich, at Oktoberfest. "You know I really hope you're alright…" he muttered.

"Hey, Rob. Did you get the sensation we were being followed all the way out here?" Andrea asked suddenly. She was peering out one of the street facing windows between the blinds.

Robert closed his wallet and stuffed it away. Now that she mentioned it… "Yeah, but I thought it was just nerves," he admitted.

"Well, never ignore that sensation, because I got it too. And we seem to have somebody who's very interested in us down on the corner," Andrea said, waving him over. "Purple haired female next to the red mailbox on the corner across the street." she murmured as he walked over and took a furtive look outside.

A few seconds later he saw the girl in question. Something about her gave him the creeps. Something that drove chills up and down his spine. "Why didn't you say anything while you felt you were being followed?" he asked through a dry mouth.

"For the same reasons you didn't," Andrea replied.

"Oh, and here you are telling _me _never to ignore that suspicion, huh!" Robert said sarcastically.

"I was saying it for both of us," his Sister shrugged.

"Right…" Rob rolled his eyes and looked again out the window. The girl seemed to make eye contact with him and slowly her lips curved up in a smile.

Robert dropped the blinds and backed away from the window. "Something's not right. I sense evil," he said.

"What are you, Sailor Mars?" Andrea quipped. "Of course she's evil. One look in her eyes will tell you she's not all there either. She's a Senshi also."

Alora joined them at the window and looked confused. "Care to fill me in?" she asked the two of them.

"What would a Senshi from another world be doing on Earth?" asked Rob.

"Senshi? What's going on?" Alora looked at Rob.

"Not all Senshi are Angels, Rob," said Andrea. "There are a few who have become 'Devils' over the years. Drunk with their power, they seek to control rather than protect. If she's here and she's interested in us, chances are she's looking for trouble. What disturbs me is there's something wrong with her eyes."

"Yeah, I agree," Robert shuddered. "She had the look of a fanatic. Like she was under the influence of some kind of ecstasy drug, yet still contained all her faculties."

"You mean that one?" Alora was now looking out and pointed out the window.

"_Don't point_!" Rob and Andrea both exclaimed as they yanked her back by the arms.

"We don't want her to know we're on to her," Andrea hissed.

Rob drew his Solar Pistol. "I'm going down."

"To do what? Get your butt whipped? We don't know if she has friends nearby, nor do we know her intentions," argued his Sister. "And do you really mean to fight in a crowded city with a Senshi? Something tells me with Tokyo's recent history of Senshi brawls they won't appreciate another one."

"Well then what do you want to do, let her spy on us and report our movements back to whoever she's spying for?" snapped Robert.

"First of all, we give Darien and Diana a call and tell them to cut their reunion short," Andrea held up fingers as she ticked off instructions. "Secondly, we stay here and watch for our spy's next move. If they want to kill us, they'll come to us."

"Which will lead to the aforementioned 'Senshi brawl' in the middle of Tokyo that you just warned me about," said Robert.

"In any case, let's just not make a move until Diana and Darien get back, can we agree on that?" Alora jumped in. "I think if that spy down there wanted us dead she would have attacked right now. I think she's just getting to know where her enemies are and seems pretty content to monitor us just now."

"What could she be after?" asked Rob.

"Difficult to say. But she's definitely Senshi. She might be brainwashed judging from the look in her eye, though I can't say I ever saw a mind zombie look that lucid and content before," Andrea spread her arms. "If we wait for her move, it works to our advantage. If she goes to report to her superiors we can follow her and trace her to her leader."

"I'll call them," said Alora, raising her wrist communicator.

sssss

The Kamenian K32X- Inspector Shuttle came out of Hyperspace near the Planet Serinzia. The ship looked like a triangular tent with a nose that tapered to a point at the bow. Two engine exhausts glowed on the back side. The wings and stabilizer fin were integrated with the points of the triangular fuselage. The paneling was painted red and gold.

"Send word to Kamenia via hyperwave," said Pollux Kamen, the elder of the two. He had long black hair and a chiseled face with narrow dark eyes. He had the face of someone who was always serious. "We've exited Hyperspace in orbit around Serinzia. There appears to be no space activity anywhere. Still picking up no transmission frequencies from the surface of any kind."

"Got it," his co-pilot and Brother, Castor Kamen relayed the message. A hyperwave transmission traveled through Hyperspace just as the ship did, arriving at its destination in minutes rather than years. "How does it look? Any signs of foul play?"

Castor was the younger brother. Like his sibling, his hair and eyes were dark, but his hairstyle was short and cropped and his demeanor was a lot more carefree. He was the kind of person who looked younger than he actually was and acted that way as well.

The two Kamen had been dispatched here to inspect Planet Serinzia because just hours before all transmissions; televised, radio wave, hyperwave, Galactic Net, everything, simply stopped. No cry for help… No signs of distress… Nothing. When Pollux and Castor were sent on this mission they half expected to find no Planet here when they left Hyperspace.

"I don't know. It doesn't look all that different than usual from up here," said Pollux. "I'm going to take us closer in. The Space Station is on the opposite side. We'll see if there's still traffic coming in and out."

"You know it could just be Sunspots," said Castor.

"It would take a hell of a lot of Sunspots to kill all transmissions off world. And besides, there's a distinct lack of activity around here. It's too quiet…" Pollux steered the shuttle around the curve of the world and the two of them soon saw Serinzia Space Station hovering over the night side. It didn't look damaged, but what struck the two Kamen as odd was the fact there was absolutely no activity in or around it. The lights were on, but no one was home. Attempts to hail the station went without reply.

"It's like it got deserted literally overnight," Castor remarked as they did a flyby.

"This doesn't make any sense. How does an entire station get evacuated and no news of it reaches any neighboring Star Systems?" Pollux shook his head.

"Oops. We've got a reply from Kamenia," said Castor, hitting a flashing light on his heads-up display.

"Read it."

"It's one question. 'Any signs of life?'"

Pollux did a closer inspection of the station. Close enough to look into the windows as he flew slowly by. What he saw made his hair stand on end.

Everyone on board the station was there alright! Except they were obviously dead. Floating because there was no gravity control. No apparent damage to the station. Just everyone floating around… dead. "Uh… That's a negative, Kamen Control," Pollux replied. "I've got multiple bodies floating in Zero-G, no life signs at all. Send it."

"Whoa! Check it out!" Castor looked out Pollux's side of the cockpit. "I can't see any signs of mutilation or unnatural death from here, can you?"

"Uncertain. The internal atmosphere could have been poisoned by terrorists or something for all we know," Pollux steered the shuttle away.

"How does that explain the silence around here?" Castor asked. "It's like a ghost world. Still no transmissions from the surface."

"We have no choice but to investigate further," Pollux said, suddenly feeling like he wanted to fly as far from this world as possible. He swallowed his hesitation along with the lump in his throat and he aimed the nose of the shuttle for the Planet.

Within minutes the sky was blue and the sound of air rushing past the cockpit canopy could be heard. The ground rushed up to them until they could see cities and buildings jutting up from the mountainous terrain.

"We can add to our list of transmission failures," said Castor from his side. "I've got no landing beacons from any ports. Negative air traffic transmissions. No radio waves on any transmission level. Same with all types of signals. I'm not even catching binary codes. It's like all of civilization just got erased."

"And I think I can see why," Pollux's heart sank and splashed into his innards. "Look down below. You can see the people. They're all dead…"

Castor looked out and saw thousands of dead bodies littering the streets and the tops of buildings. He did a quick check of the atmosphere, but once again there was no sign of any hazardous chemicals or biological agents in the air.

"However these poor souls died, it wasn't because of poisoning," he muttered.

"I can't get close enough from here to inspect for signs of murder," Pollux shook his head. "You're not going to like this, but we have to land and get some biological samples to take back to Kamenia for analysis. For all we know this could be some horrible new Super-plague."

"It'd have to be one hell of a plague to wipe out an entire Planet's population," Castor remarked as they set the shuttle down on a rooftop.

It took about half an hour for them to gather what samples they needed. Pollux did notice on closer inspection that the dead bodies were covered in odd looking boils on the skin. Their hair also looked dried and when he touched it, the hair crumbled into dust in his fingers. When he tried to take skin samples the skin came off without his having to cut it with his sample knife.

"Hey, Pollux! Check out the eyes!" Castor exclaimed from another body.

Pollux reluctantly reached up to open the eyelid of the woman he was inspecting, only to see a white liquid come spilling out of the socket. It took him half a second to realize it was eyeball fluid! He felt his bile rise and he had to stand up and turn away to collect himself. If it wasn't for his respirator he was certain he'd be able to smell rotting meat.

What he could see of Castor's face was pale as he walked over with a couple jars full of tissue. "Pollux… Their bodies look like they've been partially melted. Their internal organs are liquefied… I don't… I don't understand what… happened here…"

"It's called radiation poisoning," a third party piped in.

Both Kamen whipped around and saw a dark-green haired Senshi with a lime-green and white Senshi fuku and silver tiara sitting atop the shuttle's nose cone with her legs crossed demurely. Her lips were slightly curved into a smile and her posture certainly didn't suggest any sort of sorrow. It didn't take a pair of geniuses to figure out that she had something to do with this tragedy.

"And here I thought all the Senshi were on Kinmoku right now," Pollux Kamen said suspiciously. "Who are you? What do you know about what happened here?"

"I was once called Sailor Serinzia. Now I am but a humble acolyte of Cold Star the Great One! Isn't it glorious?" the Senshi spread her arms as if to take in all of their surroundings. "They died so quickly, yet so painfully. Cold Star's radiation cut off their communications first, then it microwaved the people, the animals… every living thing! Even the trees will wilt and shed their foliage within days. This world will turn from green to brown in less than a week's time."

"Glorious? How could you possibly be happy about all this!" Pollux felt his anger spike. "And you're Sailor _Serinizia_! The _protector _of this world!"

The Senshi leapt down and walked toward them. There was a fanatical gleam in her emerald eyes. "Serinzia was but the first test. Cold Star will purify this Galaxy! And the Senshi will pave the way for His glory!"

"What in blazes is she talking about?" Castor backed away slightly with a troubled look on his face.

"Join us, Kamen," the Senshi held out her hands. "Serving Cold Star is the greatest thrill you will ever attain!"

"And if we refuse, what? You'll bake us like this Cold Star person did to this world!" Castor snapped.

"They were unworthy…" Sailor Serinzia said indifferently. "I too resisted at first, but now I know that I was foolish and naïve. There is only one truth to this Universe. The Senshi are the heralds of Cold Star. Cold Star will purify this Universe with his Acolytes or bring death to the unbelievers!"

"She's crazy," Castor whispered to Pollux.

"No shit. She's flipped her lid," Pollux spat on the ground in front of the former Senshi. "You're a disgrace to that fuku. You've turned your back on your kind and you've turned your back on your own people! You allowed billions of people to die so you can serve this so-called God of yours! You make me sick! You tell Cold Star that the Kamen and the Senshi of Kinmoku will put a stop to this madness, starting with you!"

Pollux Kamen transformed into silver and black armor and drew his sword. Castor was right behind with red and blue armor and a pair of hatchets.

"In the name of all that is good and righteous and in the name of the lost souls of the recently deceased… I hereby render punishment on you as a soldier of Kamenia!" Pollux declared.

"Heretics," Sailor Serinzia curled her lip and assumed an attack pose. "If you will not convert, you shall die at my hands!"

Pollux yelled at the top of his lungs and swung for Serinzia's head. Serinzia ducked by tilting backward. Pollux changed his stroke and lunged for her exposed midsection, only to have the Senshi collapse to the ground and spread her legs so that the blade landed between her thighs and imbedded in the pavement. She then set her weight on her palms and kicked upward, knocking Pollux's arm off the sword.

Before Pollux could get knocked senseless by a follow-up kick to the head, Castor jumped in and helped out with a forearm block. Then he swung with one of his two hatchets at Serinzia's face. Sailor Serinzia whirled like a dancer to avoid the swing. Castor kept spinning so that his left arm was coming around on a backhand with the other hatchet. The Senshi simply caught his backhand, spun within his reach, smirked at him briefly, then drove her palm hard into his chin.

Pollux recovered his sword and jumped over the stunned Castor Kamen's head. His sword blade was glowing blue now.

"Sword of Ice! Blizzard Blast!" he cried. He whirled the sword around in his hands like a propeller. Suddenly a cyclone of snow and ice came out of the center of the whirl and forced Sailor Serinzia to retreat with both arms crossed over her face.

"Now Castor!" Pollux cried.

Castor reared back and threw both his hatchets at the Senshi. Serinzia quickly moved to dodge, but she couldn't do so without taking some of the blizzard to the face, causing her to drop to the deck.

"Surround her. We have to finish her now and find out what's going on. Don't kill her," Pollux commanded.

Castor caught his hatchets as they arced back to him. "Roger," he said, moving to the left.

Serinzia stood up stiffly, no longer looking amused.

The two Kamen circled around and struck from opposite sides. Sailor Serinzia leapt up and avoided the slashing weapons, responding with a spray of lightning that surged through Pollux and Castor's armor, paralyzing them.

"There is no chance for you," Serinzia landed next to them lightly. "Soon every Senshi in the Galaxy will be with us or dead."

"Sailor Galaxia will never tolerate your existence," Pollux strained to raise his sword and slash diagonally upward at the Senshi. Even at full capacity most Kamen would have had their hands full with a Senshi. Since Pollux was partially immobilized by the electric shock, his sword easily missed wide of the mark.

Sailor Serinzia curled her long fingers around his throat and squeezed. Pollux gagged and dropped his weapon.

"Cold Star will extend his courtesy to the Kamen as well. But considering how pathetic and weak you are, he might just exterminate you anyway," Serinzia's grin was wicked and remorseless.

"Let go of him!" Castor got to his feet and wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to pry her away. His electrified body felt like lead.

"Do you like my paralysis bolts? One shock can render a normal being comatose. Senshi and Kamen are a bit more immune as you so adequately proved. But one more ought to do it for weaklings like you." The Senshi concentrated and another surge of amps coursed into the bodies of the two Kamen once more, causing them both to scream, then to slump moaning and twitching to the rooftop that only seconds before they'd stood so defiantly upon.

Pollux's body rebelled against his mind. It didn't respond to his repeated attempts to command it to stand and fight. _I should have sent one last message to Kamenia, _he thought. _Should have sent for reinforcements. Something very evil is going on here!_

"Die, heretics!" Serinzia curled her hand into a fist and aimed for his throat.

All of a sudden there was the sound of metal being drawn from a sheath, followed swiftly after by the sound of tearing flesh and clothing. Both Kamen looked at Serinzia in shock as a curved sword blade suddenly protruded her chest from behind where the heart was supposed to be. From the look on her face, Serinzia appeared just as shocked as they were. Blood flowed from the wound as the blade was withdrawn. Serinzia turned and was met with a sickening _thwack_ as the same blade sliced neatly through her neck, separating her head from her shoulders!

Pollux had to strain just to turn his head far enough to see the newest arrival. The owner of the long sword was dressed fully in a white cloak, with a black silhouette of a balancing scale on the upper right shoulder. Underneath the cloak, as it moved with the breeze, was the hint of a black and white Senshi fuku. The woman's hair was jet black. What was most striking about this apparent Senshi, however, was the fact her eyes were covered completely by a white blindfold.

"Wh-who are you!" Castor's face was a perfect gauge of how Pollux had felt upon seeing Sailor Serinzia, whom they hadnearly lost to, taken down so easily by someone else.

The Senshi who saved them took out a black handkerchief and mopped her blade clean with a single swipe, and in the same motion she rotated the sword around and slid it back into its sheath. All this she did without seeing. "She wasn't always that way," the stranger replied. "Just yesterday Sailor Serinzia was quite a kind-hearted person. Before the black star came, that is."

"The black star…" Pollux repeated, trying to get some feeling back in his body. He felt more than a little ridiculous in this paralysis, lying amongst the rotting dead which was beginning to stink worse in the sun. "What is your name?"

The blindfolded Senshi picked her way carefully through the corpses until she was standing over them. "My name is Sailor Libra. The blind Senshi of justice. As to how it was fate brought me to you two fellows, well… That is a long story. We haven't time for that now. We must get you back to your shuttle so you can alert the authorities."

"Sailor… Libra?" Pollux thought for a minute as he tried to familiarize the name. Finally he hit upon a match and he gasped. "You mean… You are _the _Sailor Libra! The last of the Zodiacs? I thought you were just a legend! They say you can 'see', even though you are blind!"

"An exaggeration. I do not see at all," Libra squatted down next to the Kamen as they slowly became able to move again. Their twitching muscles came back slowly under their control. "My presence on this world is a rather fortuitous coincidence for you. I have heard of the one Sailor Serinzia labeled as 'Cold Star'. Rumor has it he has returned and is on a mission to convert every Senshi to his cause of purification. But the truth is his aims are far more sinister. As you can see here, no true enlightened savior of the Universe could ever inflict genocide of this level upon anyone, good or evil."

"What did he… do to this place?" asked Castor, struggling onto all fours and resting a bit on his hands and knees.

"His agents attacked first," Sailor Libra explained. "Four of them in total. All Senshi. I killed three of the others. The fourth one must have fought Sailor Serinzia and bested her. Cold Star must have brainwashed her or else he induced some effective form of induced fanaticism in her mind. Once Serinzia turned, she delivered her message to the people of this Planet: 'surrender and pledge loyalty… or burn'."

"Let me guess, the people of Serinzia refused?" Pollux surmised, finally managing to sit himself up.

"They launched nuclear weapons at Cold Star, who sat in orbit overhead. They did no good. Cold Star responded by increasing his radioactive solar output dramatically. At twice the close range of their parent Star and with almost five times the microwave radiation, within hours everyone on this Planet was dead. There was nothing I could do. My Senshi metabolism enabled me to survive the radon bombardment, but I didn't recover from the sickness until a little while ago," Sailor Libra stood up again. "I suspect Planet Serinzia will become an example to the rest of the Galaxy. Cold Star wishes to strike fear and panic in the public. I do not yet know how he managed to convert good-hearted Senshi to his cause so effectively, but if he should reach Kinmoku with that level of power, he could conquer the Universe."

"We have to tell Kinmoku then," Pollux stood up a bit shakily. "Sailor Galaxia has no idea what's headed her way. And because of the Senshi Games, practically every Senshi in the Galaxy is on that world right now."

"With that many Senshi assembled together, even Cold Star must tread cautiously," said Libra. "We have a little time before he makes his move. Your hyperwave broadcaster has been crippled by Serinzia. You must fly back to Kamenia and get the word out on the Galactic Net. I shall go to Kinmoku myself and warn Galaxia. She will know what to do about this."

"You have a ship?" asked Castor.

Libra nodded. "If you would kindly give me a ride out to it, that would help to expedite my mission."

"Of course," Pollux bowed. "It's the least we can do. We owe you our lives."

Libra's smile was without humor as she shook her head. "No, Sir Kamen. The Galaxy needs your lives more than I do…"

NEXT: Showdown! Sailor Neptune vs. Sailor Kalenin! The winner gets Sailor Uranus! But first Uranus needs to survive the Kinmoku 700 as she hurtles through rocky canyons at blinding speed! CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SAILOR KALENIN, THE LOVE VAMPIRE!


	16. Love Vampire

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SAILOR KALENIN. THE LOVE VAMPIRE!

With a sudden thrust of her engines, Amara boosted her Steed past forty-first place at the halfway mark of the Kinmoku 700. She wasn't keeping track of the miles, but she knew she was going pretty far. The canyon was changing color and seemed to be made of granite instead of sandstone. The foliage, what little she could see in the blur that was the rest of the world passing her by, looked to be changing somewhat. What didn't change was the throngs of cheering Senshi along the walls. Just how many Senshi were watching this race anyway?

No time to think. Amara was coming up on thirty-ninth, a red Steed with a giant fin on the back bumper. The driver looked in her rearview mirror and seemed to panic, throwing her machine in front of Amara's. The Uranian Senshi slowed her momentum somewhat to keep from hitting her, then threw her Steed through the next curve in the canyon.

An arch of rock presented itself before the two drivers just ahead. Only one could pass through at a time. Amara increased speed again and attempted to sneak past the thirty-ninth driver. The other Senshi again tried to move in front of her and Amara sprang into action. She let up on the accelerator and allowed the other Steed to dart in front of her, then suddenly she threw her Steed over to the other side and shifted into high gear.

The other driver knew she'd been duped, but couldn't block Amara from coming along side of her. It was a classic racing feint to pretend to pass on one side, then dart around and take the other side. There was still the problem of the looming archway, now rapidly approaching.

Neither driver wanted to give an inch. They nudged one another in an attempt knock one of the two Steeds loose enough to have to slow down to regain control. It was a game of chicken with the canyon wall.

Amara was already at full speed. So was her opponent. Only one thing to do. Amara knew it was dirty, but she was in full competitive mode now. She lowered the nose slightly on her Steed and came to within inches of scraping the canyon floor. She then moved slightly underneath the other machine, not far enough to be pulverized by the repulsor jets, but just far enough to catch an edge. She then dipped her nose back up again and caught a bit of the underside of her opponent.

At their blazing speed, the nudge was enough. The other driver flailed with her yoke as her Steed suddenly pointed upward and sideways. She narrowly avoided smacking the wall, but lost precious speed regaining control and Amara passed safely under the arch in thirty-ninth place.

sssss

"Can't this thing go any faster?" asked Hotaru.

"There's no way we can beat the Steeds to the finish line, hon," said Yaten, driving her hovercar as fast as possible. "I'm busting the Airspeed Limit as it is. We're lucky if we don't get pulled over by security before we get to where we're going."

"Like it or not, Kalenin is going to have a head start, Michelle," said Taiki.

"Whoa! What an awesome maneuver by the Number 18 Steed!" the announcer said over the radio, which the four Senshi had tuned in to keep track of the race as they flew. "Very imaginative! At the beginning of the race this Senshi looked like she'd be the race's first casualty, but ever since Snake Way she has gained control of her Steed and looks to be quickly learning the ropes! We've just learned that the Steed driver is one of the Earth Senshi, Sailor Uranus! She must be a racing natural to get the hang of a Steed this rapidly! Eighteen now leads the third of three racing groups that have formed since the start and the third group is drafting her machine to catch up to the second! The last third of this race is looking to become very interesting, folks!"

"Yaaaay! Amara!" Hotaru cheered and clapped her hands in the back seat.

"Awfully motivated, isn't she?" Taiki said in a low voice.

"You think Sara's using her sex appeal as incentive to get Amara to finish as fast as possible?" Yaten asked sarcastically.

"Is Galaxia the oldest Senshi in existence?" Taiki shot back.

"What a witch. Not only is she trying to steal someone else's lover, she's technically stacking the racing deck in her favor and trying to win big. Kalenin really is a piece of work," Yaten shook her head.

sssss

One hundred Kinmu to go.

Amara estimated she had about ten minutes left to race. Her Steed really was amazing. One of the fastest machines on the track, she estimated. Of course the top ten at this point were so close to the finish line they were a lock, but she could still crack the top twenty before the race ended.

Amara had dragged the ten Steeds remaining behind her back to the main pack by virtue of drafting. The canyon seemed to widen at just the right moment, instigating a virtual free-for-all of passing and jockeying for position. Amara, a seasoned racer, used the confusion to her advantage. After Kinmu 650, when the canyon narrowed out and bottlenecked to nearly single file again, she was in twenty-fifth position.

Her second chance was coming up. The canyon seemed to dip downward and outward into a miniature valley. It was the widest open shot at racing she'd had all day and she threw her Steed wide open for all it was worth. Of course the other drivers followed suit.

Amara was a bit shocked when the land seemed to drop off suddenly and her Steed flew off the side of a cliff. Gravity pulled her to the lower canyon floor and her Steed smacked the ground enough to jolt her teeth together. But seeing as how the other drivers faired just as well or even worse than she, she figured she was still on track.

Out of the corner of her eye, Amara saw another Steed clip an outcropping from the ground and spin out of the control, shattering as it rolled on the ground. Amara was reminded of the tenuousness of her situation, but that only heightened the adrenaline rush. She shifted forward and caught up to two fighting Steeds, passing them both by easily. A short battle with another found her now in twenty-first place.

Twentieth was a few Steed lengths ahead of her. Amara closed the gap enough so that she could hear the clatter of engine noise over the rush of wind. She slipped into the leader's air stream to catch a good draft and bided her time as the canyon narrowed, wound through a series of twisting turns almost as dangerous as Snake Way had been, then widened again into what appeared to be the final straightaway.

By now first place had crossed the finish line as it loomed ahead. The others in the top twenty were closing in. Amara had one more shot at this and she found it just two Kinmu from the finish. The canyon smoothly hooked to the left enough so that it wouldn't affect her speed too much and Amara found the twentieth Steed drifting to the high side.

Amara smiled and used the draft push to rocket by. The other driver noticed too late what was happening and she tried to move down to block her. Amara's heart exploded as she realized they were about to collide! She suddenly thought quickly and scooted to the left.

The panicked driver overcompensated and couldn't quite correct her trajectory to move back in front. Her nose dipped too low and clipped the canyon floor. Suddenly the other Steed flipped over and smashed headlong into the side wall. Amara heard the crowd roar as she entered the last straightaway in the top twenty.

Two other Steeds challenged for her position, but Amara skillfully held them off long enough to streak across the finish line half a Steed length ahead of twenty-first and twenty-second place.

Immediately, Amara pulled her vehicle off to the side and slowed down. The world seemed to go by in slow motion as she came to a stop and shut off her engines. Her adrenaline was still pumping, causing her whole body to quake. She suddenly realized the risks she'd taken and as the memory of the dizzying Steed race caught up to her she climbed out of the vehicle.

And promptly leaned over and threw up!

sssss

"I knew you'd do well, Amara," Sailor Kalenin comforted her minutes later in a lounge area far from the finish line. The two were alone for now. Saralyndrea had shown up almost immediately after Amara emptied the contents of her stomach and lead her away before the throng of congratulators could interfere. "You finished in the top twenty after dropping to last place and nearly crashing out numerous times. You are as skilled as I suspected you'd be."

"Y-you… nearly killed me!" Amara accused, still trembling, but far more composed now.

"How cruel of you to suggest such a thing," Saralyndrea pretended to be wounded by that remark. "I did not force you to race. Was it my hand that signed you up for the most intense race in the Galaxy?"

Amara hunched her shoulders, unable to argue with her. She wanted to say it was her sexual addiction that caused her to be so reckless, but really… Amara had to truthfully admit that she had let herself fall into that trap in the first place… And enjoyed it. "Well?"

"Well what?" asked Sara, leaning closer.

"Is it _feeding_ time yet?" asked Amara bitterly.

Saralyndrea was silently thoughtful for a moment as she looked deep into Amara's eyes. "Not quite yet. It seems you are attracted to me, but you need a catalyst. You want Michelle, don't you? She's the only one who can awaken your true love."

"Well duh," Amara felt a little bit triumphant. "Too bad really. I guess you can't feed on me after all."

Sara chuckled, then laughed out loud. "You silly, silly girl. I've been doing this for years. Behold my true powers of seduction. I will have you begging me to extract your love."

Amara's eyes widened in shock as a sudden transformation occurred before her eyes. All of a sudden Saralyndrea's purple hair turned aqua green. Her dark skin lightened to pale pink. Her gossamer clothing became nothing more than loose ribbons and her face became like that of Sailor Neptune's.

Amara was rooted to the spot. How could this be? Saralyndrea was a shape-shifter? Why didn't she simply use this trick to begin with?

"Amara, my love. Give me all that you are," Michelle's lilting voice washed over her. Suddenly Amara's mind was stripped away. Her awareness faded until nothing but instinct took over. Without any self control, Amara reached out for her lovely Michelle and pulled her down next to her. Her golden aura began to flare. Her heart felt ready to burst. Amara kissed Michelle.

Saralyndrea hungrily kissed back, wrapping her hands around Amara's neck. She could feel the passion spiking. It was soaring higher than ever now. Sara smiled. With most victims, simply her sex appeal could get most of them. But Sailor Uranus here was quite resistant to chemical charms and good looks. She flirted, but never strayed. It was truly a real love she and Neptune shared together. But no one, no one, could ever resist Sailor Kalenin's mental magics. She hadn't really changed form. She'd simply projected Amara's innermost desires onto her perception. It wouldn't have worked without the prior warmup, but now Amara was hers, body and soul.

Saralyndrea could feel the pleasure enveloping Amara and she reached out with her powers and began to draw them into herself. Two of her teeth grew out into fangs and she lowered her head down to Amara's chest. Sailor Uranus gasped as Kalenin sank her teeth into her breast, directly over her heart, and some of her gold aura began to seep into the love vampire's form.

"Oh… Michelle…" Amara gasped, leaning back. She felt weak, yet more wonderful with every passing second.

For the first time in months, Saralyndrea felt the familiar and addictive pleasures that were denied to her. Her heart rate increased. Her whole body tingled. She continued to draw out pleasure, becoming more and more hot with each passing second. Their heartbeats seemed to synchronize as Saralyndrea's passion peaked. Amara cried out and stiffened suddenly, and Sara gasped as she felt the blessed ecstasy of climactic love grip her body. This was what she lived for. That feeling she craved. The passion that so many other races took for granted. Why, oh why couldn't she feel it on her own? It was so unfair!

Saralyndrea was not done. As their mutual climax shuddered to a halt, Sara began to build her victim up for another round, but her feeding was brutally interrupted by the sudden explosion that ripped the front door from its hinges and shattered it!

Saralyndrea broke contact, letting Amara slump over unconscious. The energy transfer far too much to handle all at once. Though the aroma in the air indicated that Amara had enjoyed it every bit as much as Sara had. Sara looked at the door in shock as four Senshi stepped inside.

One in particular caused her to sharply inhale. She had aqua green hair and matching eyes. Her fists were curled into tight balls of fury. Her aura radiated the power of water, and even the sound of the ocean seemed to accompany her.

"Sailor Neptune!" she identified the intruder.

"You must be Sailor Kalenin," Neptune said coldly. "You get away from my Amara, you _slut_! If you ever touch her again I will _kill _you!"

Saralyndrea composed herself, getting over her surprise quickly. So she'd been caught in the act. It wasn't the first time. She stood up and faced Neptune directly. After a few minutes of getting a feel for the situation, she smiled.

"My dear Sailor Neptune," she said in a honeyed voice. "I meant Uranus no harm at all. Why unless I'm mistaken she enjoyed every last bit of it. I could let you join in if you wish. I could help both of you achieve levels of pleasure you never dreamed of." Oh God! Just the thought of feeding from two lovers at once made her knees weak!

"I don't need your help in giving Amara pleasure," Neptune spoke back sharply. "And I especially don't need lessons in the giving of love. All you know how to do is take. How many, Sailor Kalenin? How many relationships have you destroyed with your lustful ways!"

"You don't understand me at all," Saralyndrea replied. "I need this. As surely as one needs to eat to live. It is in my nature, and the nature of all my people, to feed upon love. Would you condemn the Kaleniri simply for craving what you take for granted?"

Neptune was quite for a moment as she contemplated that. "Granted… Perhaps I don't understand the whole issue. But I do know myself. I know that I love Amara. I love her so much I can't stand seeing her with you another minute longer! I hope that you are done feeding off her, you pathetic parasite. For you will not feed from her love again. Her love belongs to me."

Saralyndrea raised her hand up to her mouth as she bubbled out in sudden laughter. "You stun me with your hypocrisy, Neptune," she chortled. "You're saying I may feed upon whoever I like so long as it's not your precious Amara? You have no right to talk down to me. You are just as much a parasite as I am. No, you are worse than greedy. For you have what I and my kind so pitifully lack, yet you always want more anyway."

"How _dare _you!" Neptune's anger flared.

"Knock it off!" Sailor Starhealer interjected herself between them. "This is not the time or the place to be starting a feud over something like this."

"Get out of my way, Yaten," Neptune warned.

"Michelle, get a _grip_!" Yaten replied. "If you strike at her, she will strike back. A fight now could forever damage your reputation on this world, not to mention possibly harming the relations that Galaxia and Sailor Moon are trying to establish here!"

"_I will tell you again to get out of my way, Yaten!_" Neptune finally raised her voice to a shout.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh! Your power level is pathetic next to mine," Sailor Kalenin crowed.

Sailor Neptune moved as if to shove Yaten aside and take out her rage on Kalenin, but just then Hotaru reached out and set up a force field between the two Senshi.

"What are you doing!" Michelle spun on Hotaru. "Let me through!"

Hotaru looked fearful. "I c-can't," she said. "If you fight her, you'll get in trouble. We shouldn't be here to fight with each other. We're supposed to be here to have fun and make friends, aren't we?"

"She's right. Let's just get Amara back and go," Yaten walked over to Saralyndrea. "And as for you. You're lucky Sailor Saturn here decided to intervene. I know from personal experience Sailor Neptune is no one to contend with. By order of Sailor Galaxia the Earth Senshi were to be treated with the utmost welcome and respect. And you went way beyond authorized limits, Sara. I don't care who you think you are, or what your problems are. We're taking Sailor Uranus away from you and if you have a complaint you can take it up with her highness."

Sailor Kalenin folded her arms and scowled, her eyes flashing. "I'm warning you. I'm not finished with her. Whether it's now or later, she will be mine."

The two Starlights ignored her. They picked up Uranus and carried her over to Michelle. Hotaru kept her shields up until she was certain no fighting was going to break out, then she dropped them. "I'm sorry. Just try to see things from her perspective," she said to Sara.

"Just… go," Sara turned away in disgust. "I don't see what's so special about you anyway. _Every_ Senshi has risked their lives numerous times to save the Universe. What makes you so special? Why don't you ask around? You might find that some of us actually _resent_ your presence here."

Hotaru clammed up, and turned to leave. As she caught up to the group, she looked over her shoulder once at the building Kalenin was in, then helped the others load the overwhelmed Amara into Yaten's Skycar.

As the doors on the vehicle were slammed shut, Hotaru had to voice her misgivings. "Yaten? Taiki? Do you think we're unwelcome here?"

"What?" Taiki paused, halfway into her seat. "What makes you ask that?"

"It's just something… That Sailor Kalenin said to me," Hotaru hesitated.

Taiki looked at Yaten, who shook her head and attempted to start the vehicle up. Michelle was tending to her girlfriend in the back seat. Her anger had faded behind her concern and her demeanor had gone back to the usual calm, tender Michelle that existed before this incident. Hotaru had always wondered what Michelle would be like if she ever lost her temper. Now that she'd seen it, she hoped that she would never see that side again.

"Don't worry too much about it," Taiki finally answered her. "There are a few here and there who do wonder what the big deal is. But don't ever doubt that we, the Princess, Galaxia… We know that you all deserve this. You're part of a family now. The largest family in the Universe."

"Yeah, and don't listen to her," Yaten said of Kalenin. "She's just sore because she didn't get the full enjoyment out of her victim. She'll get over it and find another Senshi to suck."

"Could be _you_ next time, Yaten," Taiki teased.

"Don't even kid about that," Yaten muttered.

Still troubled, Hotaru felt only slightly better as the Skycar launched and headed back toward downtown Alpha Senshi.

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: Meanwhile, on Earth, Cold Star's servants make an attempt to kill the Trinity now that they realize Sailor Moon is not on Earth. The first of many battles to come begins on the world that Sailor Earth, Solara, Stratus and Solar Pilot swore to protect. But can even the calculating mind of Jed and the skill of Tuxedo Mask defeat the wicked Senshi? CHAPTER SIXTEEN: EARTH'S DEFENDERS


	17. Earth's Defenders

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: EARTH'S DEFENDERS

"No, no. A darker shade of purple," said Andrea to the Police Profiler that Jed had brought to the apartment. "And her nose was a little more upturned at the end."

The Profiler erased her mistakes and scribbled in the corrections, making sure to color in the hair with a purple colored pencil. After a moment she turned the sketchbook around and showed them her result. "How's that?"

Robert studied it closely, then nodded his head. "Looks like her, I'd say."

Andrea nodded her agreement. "I can't recall anything else. Of course she was pretty far away."

"Good thing you and I both inherited our Father's eye for details," said Robert.

"Thank you, Youko. That'll be all," Jed said. "You know the drill."

"Yes, Inspector," the Profiler carefully placed her tools away in a suitcase and said her goodbyes to the gathered Senshi.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Jed," said Darien. "If the Police try to tangle with her, they're going to be in for a nasty surprise."

"You let me worry about the Police, Darien," Jed replied. "This is standard procedure. I'll leave explicit instructions for my men to observe only. Unless one of you knows where this Senshi went after she vanished."

No one answered. The Senshi in question that had been spying upon them had disappeared shortly after Darien and Diana had been called in. Then Jed was called, who'd come up with the Profiler idea. His idea was that this spy wouldn't be able to go far in the city with people on the look out for her. Anyone who spotted this character would call in to the Wanted Hotline at the Police Station, and then Jed would relay the message to them.

Jed put his jacket back on. "Listen, I'm going to go back to the station to oversee the process. I recommend the rest of you move to a different location. Preferably one close by. That way if this person returns with reinforcements and tries to raid this apartment, the fact that you're all gone will throw them for a loop. Not to mention you'll be able to follow her back to her own hideout at the right moment."

"So it's back to house hunting," Alora sighed. "I was kind of liking this location too."

"Could be worse. We could have brought all the furniture in and _then _had to move," Andrea quipped.

sssss

The Sun had long since gone down when they changed locations. Darien paid for a Hotel room just half a block from the apartment housing they'd left. After that they took turns watching the street for any signs of suspicious characters, or any woman matching the look of the one that afternoon.

The night passed without incident. But as the Sun was coming up again in the east, Alora, who was at the window with a pair of binoculars, raised the alarm:

"Guys! Wake up, everyone! I got a visual on Miss Purple!" Alora said loudly. The five room occupants came awake at once and crowded the window. "She's brought a friend," Alora added. "Taller, dark hair. Very pretty."

"Let me see them," Andrea reached for the glasses.

"Too late, they're inside. It's the building we were just in alright," said Alora, lowering the binoculars.

"You think they're trying to eliminate us?" asked Darien.

"That's what we're banking on," said Robert. "But why is a question I'd like to ask. We don't know anything about these Senshi or their motives. Are they acting independently of Kinmoku?"

"There's no need to ask. Of course they are," said Andrea.

"Unless she had plans for Earth anyway and summoned the Senshi away to her little party to distract them," Rob shrugged.

"Don't even think that, Robert," Diana chided him. "Unless you consider us in league with her as well?"

"That's not what I meant," Robert argued.

"More to the point, it's not Galaxia's style. Never has been," Andrea stated. "We've known her for a thousand years. She's about as subtle as an avalanche. If she wants something she'll go right for it. Intricate plots and twisted plans aren't her thing. Someone here needs to stop being paranoid."

"Okay. So… Any theories on why they're here?" Robert changed the subject.

"That's what we're going to find out," said Diana. "Now we wait."

Suddenly Darien's Cell Phone rang. Darien immediately flipped it open and turned it on. "Hello?"

"Darien, this is Tokiba. I've got a visual on our suspects," Jed said shortly.

"Where are you?" asked Darien, flipping the cell to 'walkie-talkie' mode.

"I'm parked on the street in a civilian vehicle. Around the corner from the apartment those Senshi just walked into. Looks like they took the bait," said Jed smugly.

"They're moving to eliminate us?" asked Andrea.

"More than likely. Or to capture you, whichever. In any case if they try anything funny, well be ready," said Jed. "I've got the entire neighborhood cased with Snipers. And a special forces unit armed with the new Scud Prods."

"What are 'Scud Prods'?" asked Alora.

"They're new melee weapons the Police developed in the wake of Executioner's rampage," Darien explained. "The first word is an acronym. S.C.U.D… Super Conducting Ultrashock Delivery Prods. They're like Knight-sticks, but upon impact they also deliver a high yield electric shock like a Cattle Prod. The settings can be set for 'low', for Human offenders. But the real reason for the Scud Prods was to allow the Police better odds in the case of a confrontation with a Sailor Senshi. They say the highest settings could kill a raging Bull Elephant."

"If that's so, we'd certainly feel it," Andrea conceded. "But there are some Senshi out there that can take quite a beating. You tell our Police General that if something hits the fan, we deal with it."

Jed overheard the conversation. "Negative, Sailor. Tokyo is still in a fragile state of mind concerning Senshi. We need to attempt a Police intervention with _zero _Senshi assistance first."

"Listen, Jed. To _Hell_ with the higher ups who run the Police Force!" Robert protested. "This isn't the Moon Kingdom. We don't have the luxury of politics here."

"This was my call," Jed asserted. "I am a Police Officer now. My responsibility as unofficial Senshi liaison and as someone the people know as an expert on Senshi doings, is to equip ordinary law-enforcement personnel with the tools to take on much more powerful beings than Humans. I think Dark Mercury and Executioner demonstrated this need more than anyone. Human beings deserve the ability to defend themselves against _super-human _beings."

"That's very noble, Jed. But our job is to make certain Humans never have to become involved," replied Darien.

"Look. My mission today is no different than it was a thousand years ago. When I led the Earth Forces for your Father, Darien, I was always concocting methods to even the playing field between ordinary Earth warriors and beings like the Kamen, the Senshi, and the beasts they fought," Jed sounded as if he was becoming irritated with this line of questioning. "In a perfect world, you're right, Humans should never have to fight beings on your level. But this is not a perfect world, people. The combined efforts of more than a dozen Senshi couldn't stop Dark Mercury from killing hundreds! The reality is when you guys fall… Who is going to stand in the way of evil?"

No one answered. They all looked at one another morosely. Jed's logic was currently unassailable.

"And one more thing you should know," Jed said more quietly. "If something does go down, I know full well that some of my fellow officers are going to die. There's nothing I'd like better than to let you step in right off the bat and spare their lives. But only in battle do we get to test our weapons and our strategies. By relying on you forever, we may save lives in the short term… But in the long term we could suffer badly. And never forget this. Senshi are a new concept to this world. As Robert so excellently put, this is not the Moon Kingdom. Some people laud you as heroes, it's true, but there are many others who are afraid of you and your potential for destruction. If we can show Tokyo and the world at large that we can stand our ground and effectively fight people like you, it will ease their fears about Senshi in general. Another catastrophe like Dark Mercury could push the world into lashing out at your kind, something that cannot ever be allowed to happen. Do you finally understand?"

Diana looked somber, but she nodded her head. "I agree. Detective, you may proceed with your plan first."

Robert balked, but the fact was he couldn't find an argument strong enough to overturn Jed's points kept him from protesting. And even though many years had passed since the Trinity and Solar Pilot had worked together, he understood that Diana was still the consensus leader of the Trinity.

"However," Diana added, "the moment the first casualty falls, we intervene."

"Thank you for this," Jed said, hanging up the phone.

"You know… This brings back memories, doesn't it?" Alora suddenly smiled.

Everyone looked at her like she was crazy at first, but then the irony struck them all too. Robert couldn't help but think back almost a thousand years to the last time he, Sailor Earth, Sailor Solara, Sailor Stratus, Prince Darien of House Endymion, and General Jed Tokiba had run a mission together. Back then, Metalia was the enemy. The memory was so laser sharp that Robert almost convinced himself it happened just recently.

"Deja- frikkin- vu, alright," Andrea mumbled, although fighting a smile of her own at the thought.

sssss

"Sharp Shooters. Keep your sights on the eighth floor window, third from the right, and on the entrance way. Scud Squad, lock and load, get ready for combat. This is not a drill," Jed spoke into his radio.

Police Chief Arnold Nakajima stood next to the Detective. "You're absolutely sure these two girls are Senshi?"

"I know a Senshi when I see one, sir. It's just the way they hold themselves," said Jed simply.

"If this works, the Police Commissioner and the Mayor both will make certain your new special squad gets all the funding and material they will ever need," Nakajima declared.

"I'm not saying this will work, sir," Jed warned. "But this will be an important engagement to learn from to eventually work up to a more even level with the Sailor Senshi."

The Chief grunted before heading over to the armored car parked further down the road. Jed raised his radio back to his mouth: "All units, report in if ready."

No sooner did the first Sniper call in ready, when all of a sudden the eighth floor apartment they were casing exploded outward in a cloud of flame and smoke!

sssss

"Yes, Lord Cold Star. We've found some Senshi, but they don't appear to be the ones we were looking for," Sailor Andromeda held the compact mirror out before her, over which a hologram of Cold Star hovered in his humanoid form. "Our intelligence is incomplete at best, but this Sailor Moon you're intrigued with and her nine Senshi do not appear to be on world."

"More than likely then, they are on Kinmoku with Sailor Galaxia," Cold Star rumbled through the static-filled transmission. "The Senshi that are there right now will be easy for you to overcome. If possible, catch them and convert them to our cause. If necessary, destroy them. In either case, Earth is tactically useless to us. When you have taken care of its defenders, rejoin me near the Kardaffu System."

"I shall," Andromeda closed her communicator. "And I shall make an example for you as well." She turned to Sailor Farion. "Break it down."

Farion grinned evilly, then kicked the door to the apartment off its hinges. The two Senshi stepped inside ready for battle, but the apartment was empty. A quick search of all the rooms told them all they needed to know.

"We've been tricked," Andromeda said coldly to Farion. "You let them see you!"

Farion turned her head swiftly as Andromeda's slap stung her cheek. "Forgive me, Senshi Prime. They did see me, but I did not think they would see through my disguise."

"Senshi know Senshi, Sailor Farion," Andromeda said. "You should have told me you'd been seen last night." She took another look around the apartment. "They're probably watching us right now. Our element of surprise is gone. Time to take the direct approach. Blow this place up."

Farion smiled. "With pleasure."

Andromeda looked out the window at the neighboring buildings, wondering where their victims were, as Sailor Farion found a gas line, kicking it off the wall. With a flick of her finger, a small tongue of flame instantly became a massive explosion. Farion protected herself with a wall of ultraviolet light. Andromeda simply stood among the flames as the wall facing the street blew out.

sssss

"Whoa!" Robert exclaimed as their former apartment exploded.

"Things are going to get hot now," said Andrea.

Two Senshi seemed to walk right out of the flames and descend slowly to the street. Immediately Jed's Snipers opened fire from each of five positions. Even a Senshi was no match for bullets, but more often than not, one had to get through their magic.

In this case a dark hole seemed to open up in front of the two Senshi and swallow the bullets into oblivion. After that it disappeared just as quickly.

"Tell me that wasn't a miniature Black Hole she just made," said Darien.

"I think it was," Alora replied.

An armored truck suddenly swerved around the corner and screeched to a halt. The back doors burst open and a dozen men in body armor, sub-machine guns, and the much anticipated Scud Prods, leaped out.

sssss

"Oh look. The natives want to play," Farion said. "That's so cute when they think they can play with the big girls."

"Go ahead and have your fun. But save your powers for the Senshi. I know they're here somewhere," said Andromeda. "I'll keep these little projectiles off."

"Fire!" shouted the squad leader.

The rapid firing guns chattered as they rained bullets at Sailor Farion, who calmly strolled toward them. Another black hole opened wide and sucked in the bullets.

"Cease fire!" the leader shouted, realizing the guns were useless. "Scud Prods at the ready!"

The officers dropped their guns and drew black club-like objects from their belts.

Farion grinned and motioned them forward. "I'll fight fairly, boys. Fists and feet only."

The first officer charged in and swung at her face. Farion ducked, rotated toward him and slapped the prod out of his hand with a chop to his forearm. The officer tried to punch her, but his fist certainly didn't do the job. Farion backhanded him, bouncing his body off the side of the armored truck.

Three more moved in and attacked from three sides. Farion ducked the first club, blocked another with her right forearm, then spun from the third one. The officers kept swinging away, each just barely missing their target. Sailor Farion played cat and mouse for a moment, then counterattacked viciously.

She dislocated the first officer's jaw with the heel of her left palm. Next she stomped on the foot of the second officer with the force of an anvil, crushing the bones, then finished him off with an elbow to the throat. The third officer got another shot at her, but she leaped over the swing, grabbed his head in mid-flip, then tossed him into a nearby group of men.

The remaining officers surrounded her and moved in with clubs raised. Farion knocked each one away with frightening ease. She had felled about a dozen men when Jed finally lost his temper, picked up a fallen Scud Prod, and aimed a stroke for Farion's knee while she was kicking away another squad member.

Sailor Farion didn't see Jed come in from her blind side and caught the prod in the knee cap. He had the electrical setting up at its highest and the hit caused her to scream and fall to the ground. Farion lost all feeling in her left leg.

"Agh! What was that, you annoying pest!" Farion limped to her feet and grabbed him by the collar. "Well, well. It appears you Earthlings have some weapons truly capable of affecting us."

Jed swung at her head, but Farion caught his wrist and squeezed his pressure point, causing him to involuntarily drop the prod. She lifted him off his feet until he was dangling in the air._Well,_ thought Jed_, preparing himself for pain, at least we know the Scud Prods work. She at least felt it._

Farion never got to finish the man who'd hit her off. Suddenly the ground of the street split open and vines snaked their way out to snag her limbs. Jed dropped to the ground and scrambled away just as a huge fireball slammed in and threw the evil Senshi into the street, carving it up with her body.

"Senshi!" somebody yelled from amongthe onlookers that had gathered.

Sailor Andromeda smirked as three Senshi and two other men, probably Kamen, swooped down from the sky. They fit the descriptions of the group Farion had spied upon. Farion promptly forgot about Jed and dropped him as she turned.

"Squad! Fall back!" Jed barked out. "This fight is officially out of our hands!"

The cops limped or dragged themselves out of the way as the Senshi faced off in the street.

"Senshi of Earth," Andromeda greeted them with open arms. "So good of you to come at my signal. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sailor Andromeda, Senshi of the Andromeda Galaxy. I am a Herald of Cold Star. This is my associate, Sailor Farion, an Acolyte of his cause. Where is the famous Sailor Moon? We've come seeking word with her."

"She's not in right now, but if you'd like to leave your name and number at the sound of the beep, we'd be happy to get the message to her," Alora cracked.

"What do you want with Sailor Moon?" asked Darien.

"She is very fortunate. She's been noticed by Lord Cold Star and now he seeks to recruit her to his high cause," said Andromeda. "You will all get the same honor as well."

"Tell us more about this high cause of yours," asked Robert

"Nothing less than the conversion of the Universe. Cold Star shall rule and the Senshi shall be his enforcers," Andromeda explained as Farion angrily limped back to her side. "Those who resist shall have to die."

"And Sailor Moon is to govern this world while he rules the Universe?" asked Rob.

"As a Senshi she should be in charge already," said Andromeda. "Most Senshi are so foolish as to believe they should protect instead of govern. I was once like this myself. My eyes have been opened. If you allow me to, I shall open yours as well. This is an invitation I shall only extend once."

"Convert or die is basically what you're saying," Alora stated.

"Sounds like it could be fun, but you know something, Sailor Andromeda?" asked Andrea. "You have a funny way of extending good will. Blowing up property and attacking civilians is not usually a good foot to start on."

Andromeda smiled coldly. "It matters not. They shall all belong to Cold Star. They are his people. His property."

"And that's where you and we part ways when it comes to point of view, I'm afraid," Diana stepped forward. "I will speak on behalf of Sailor Moon, for I know she would say the same thing. Leave Planet Earth immediately and never come back. If you do not we will be forced to expel you."

"That's her delicate way of saying, we'll kick your ass if you don't scram right away," Andrea translated smugly.

Sailor Andromeda's smile quickly turned to ice. "That is most disappointing. We already know where the actual Sailor Moon might be, so we fully intend to leave here anyway. However, given that you have refused the light of Cold Star's grace, we must eliminate you first." She turned to Sailor Farion. "Handle them. If you fail I will kill you myself. My faith in you is shaken if a simple Human being can cause you pain."

"They had some kind of weapon against us, Senshi Prime. It was not my fault," Farion insisted.

"That is why I give you one more chance to redeem yourself," Andromeda commanded. "Show these infidels the wrath of Cold Star and his Acolytes."

Farion brought her powers to the fore as she stepped forward. She'd been holding back against the Humans. But against Senshi she wasn't going to hold anything back. She was going to show everyone, including Andromeda, that she was a force to be reckoned with.

Sailor Earth surprised everyone by stepping forward to meet her in the middle. "I shall be your opponent. I am Sailor Earth. This Planet is under my watch until Sailor Moon returns. I shall not fail my post."

"Well met, Sailor," Farion nodded, settling into a combat stance. "Begin!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: The highlight of the Senshi Games has arrived. This rough Senshi contest will have you wincing and cringing at every painful blow. It's Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Uranus and the Starlights against the Nova Senshi! CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE HYPERBOWL


	18. The Hyperbowl

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE HYPERBOWL

Sailor Galaxia was called away from a wrestling contest by an urgent message on her communicator. She turned and apologized to Kakyuu and excused herself.

Ten minutes later she was debarking onto the balcony outside Central Spire and making her way down toward the Intelligence Office. She rapped on the door and was admitted immediately. Half a dozen Senshi snapped to attention when she entered. Galaxia waved for them to carry on and approached Sailor Nova Proxima, who had called her away.

"I know you're not the one given toward frivolity, Proxima, but this better be good," said Galaxia.

"I think you should see this. We're getting some weird news off the Galactic Net," Proxima pointed with a remote clicker and upped the volume on a GNN report already in progress.

"… Our spokesperson on Planet Kardaffu seems to be experiencing some technical difficulties. We'll return to him as soon as possible," said a baffled looking Triani Anchorman. Though his purple face and compound eyes were unreadable, Galaxia could see him fidget nervously. "For those of you just joining in, we are receiving some mysterious information breaks. Just hours ago, a GNN on-scene news report on Planet Aineias blacked out due to mysterious circumstances. Minutes later, all communications traffic from the Aineian System ceased completely. The Galactic Net was no longer able to broadcast to or from the Planet. Attempts to investigate the cause resulted in more disappearances. Any and all shipping traffic in and out of the System seemingly vanished without a trace. Since that time, another world has recently blacked out. Planet Serinzia is undergoing similar communications silence and in the past few hours no contacts have been found of any ships from the Serinizia System. Authorities are at a loss as to explain the cause of these blackouts…"

Sailor Nova Proxima turned the volume down on the news report. "Two Planets. Both with advanced cultures. In hundreds of years neither world has ceased broadcasting on the Galactic Net or faltered in shipping traffic. Now all of a sudden in the past day they both go down. No one knows why. I suspect foul play."

"I'd say that's fairly obvious," Sailor Galaxia nodded. "But we don't know exactly what happened."

"Every investigator that's tried to discover the truth has disappeared," Proxima reminded her.

"A Senshi backs down from no threat, real or imagined," said Galaxia. "I'm going to contact our representative on the Gal-Net Council and find out anything that the authorities are holding back. In the mean time, contact Sailor Polaris."

"Do you want me to get the team together?" asked Proxima.

"No, at this point I think that would be overkill," Galaxia disagreed. "We don't yet know enough about what we're dealing with, if it's even trouble to begin with. In any case you five have a game to get ready for, right? It wouldn't do to alarm our guests in any way. They're not here to worry about our problems."

"I understand," Proxima bowed. "I'm calling Polaris now."

sssss

"Michelle… I'm really so sorry about yesterday," Amara apologized for the umpteenth time since awakening from her coma.

Michelle stopped and gripped Amara's chin in her right hand. "Amara, it's fine. If you apologize to me one more time I think I'll _hurt_ you, so drop it."

"I would, but…" Amara trailed off. The truth was that even though Michelle forgave her in words, her body language was still so cold. There was a part of her deep down that still felt betrayed. Amara was no idiot. But it was clear no amount of apology would clear this up any time soon.

It's because I was so weak, Amara though glumly. _I allowed Saralyndrea to tempt me even though I knew better._

Amara though glumly. 

"It's not you I'm angry at, Amara," Michelle said, as if reading her mind. "But you have a game to concentrate on now."

Her back was turned so Amara couldn't see her face. She wondered what was there. Her thoughts were intruded upon by the entrance of Sailor Rainbow Prism. Amy, Serena, Lita, who were also in the room, turned their attention to the small Ambassador.

"Good morning, ladies. I'm so glad to see you all here. Today is the big day," Prism greeted them cheerfully.

"Prism," Amara pushed her way forward. "You're aware of what happened yesterday? I want something done about Sailor Kalenin."

Prism held up a hand patiently. "Sailor Uranus, please. I was there when you were brought in. You are quite right, she was out of line. I for one have never approved of her methods, no matter how she may rationalize them. But we can't throw her in jail for being who she is. In any case I have sent her a formal letter of dismissal from Kinmoku until the Eon Celebration is over. That is the harshest punishment I am allowed to give her."

Amara nodded. At least she wouldn't be around to bother them anymore. She couldn't help feeling like a wedge had been driven between herself and her girlfriend.

"Violet, I'm having second thoughts about this," Serena raised her hand meekly. "I've never exactly been good being the center of attention and this game sounds pretty rough to me."

"Princess, don't you fret. You are playing against the very best. They'll never use excessive force on you," Prism tried to calm her.

"It's that whole 'best' thing that has me kind of concerned," Serena said meekly.

"I hope they _don't _hold back," Lita declared. "I hope they go all out. I have a score to settle."

"Oh boy, when she gets like that there's no stopping her," Mina shook her head.

"You may pursue your vendetta against Sailor Nova Hercules all you wish, Sailor Jupiter, but don't get too personal. There are rules against fighting in Hyperball," Prism waggled her finger. "And Hera's not the sort to go easy in a fight."

"Believe me, I'm aware of that," Lita crossed her arms. "But I won't feel good unless I get one more shot at her. If that means beating her in a ball game, well, I'll take it. I just don't want to win because these Senshi went easy on us."

Amy was thinking. "I'll be a substitute, so I'll ride the bench first," she said. "I'll be an unofficial coach. If I can just sit back and watch the game for a few minutes I think I can get it down and come up with some strategies that will give us some chance."

"That's so like you, Ames," Serena grinned. "Just don't sit out too long. I might get hurt."

"Serena, nothing's going to happen. Believe in yourself," Amy put a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "That's what these games are for. Sure there's a good chance we'll lose, but that's not the point. I mean Michelle turned out not to be the best musician in the Universe and you turned out not to be the best car racer in the Galaxy. But they still had fun and learned a bit about themselves.

"Hey, no fair. I was distracted," Amara snorted. "Give me another hundred miles and I'd have won that Steed race."

"I got your back, Serena," Lita promised her. "If they get rough I'll lay the smack down."

"I'm so glad this game appeals to you two," Serena sighed. "I just don't do contact sports."

"Now, now. Before I send you girls to the arena, I do have to explain the rules of Hyperball," Prism interjected. "So if you'll all come with me, I'll go over it with you on the way."

sssss

The incredible Galaxy Arena was much larger than any of the Earth Senshi could have possibly imagined!

It rose up from the depths of the tall city on a broad foundation. The base of the stadium looked like it could cover ten square blocks of Tokyo! The playing field was over 300 meters long and 100 meters wide. The field was enclosed in an energy shield cube that was just as long, just as wide, and over a hundred meters tall! The number of attendees in the stadium was staggering. Prism explained that the stadium could hold well over half a million Senshi! Even more were watching thanks to countless automated hover cameras swooping around the energy field.

The energy shield was to keep the boundaries secure. Since flying was allowed in this game, there had to be limits to how high they could go. It was also partly to protect the spectators. With the shield activated, people could pass into it, but not out of it. Not until it was deactivated. The goals were suspended off the ground about fifty meters, directly in the center of the end zones of the energy shield. The goals themselves were about three meters wide and three meters tall, with large tubes jutting out behind them. The tubes apparently were catchers for the hyperball.

A hyperball, according to Prism, was an oblong ball made of pure energy. The energy had enough density to be held in the arms and was light weight. Real balls always tended to get flattened or destroyed before the end of the game, so since energy could not be destroyed it was the logical choice. The energy was kept in a force field cocoon to keep from dissipating. The force field was generated by a golf-ball sized generator in the center of the ball.

The noise of the crowd was deafening as Sailor Rainbow Prism lowered the hovercar down to the ramp leading into the field cube. Serena was caught by surprise by the cheering. As she descended the ramp with her friends, the crowd rose to its feet and made unbelievable noise. Was it really for her? Did they really want to see her that badly? She was beginning to understand a bit what Mina craved. Such adoration was intoxicating.

The Nova Senshi were assembled inside the field cube already. As were Yaten and Taiki, the two Starlights, who were to be their teammates in the contest. Starmaker and Starhealer didn't play on any formal Hyperball teams, but they'd played enough to give Sailor Moon's squad a good dose of game experience so they wouldn't be caught entirely flatfooted. Their athleticism was also an edge in their favor.

"Sailor Moon, welcome. Everyone seems to be so happy you've come," said Sailor Nova Proxima when Serena entered the field cube.

"Well I've never been too good with peer pressure," Serena joked weakly.

"I understand your nervousness. No doubt you've heard rumors about this sport. If you wish to back out, we understand and we won't hold it against you," said Proxima.

Serena was surprised. Someone had actually offered to allow her to bow out? Everyone else she'd talked to seemed keen on getting her to play this silly game. She thought about taking Proxima up on her offer right then and there, but then she looked at the crowd outside the cube. They were still on their feet and cheering obviously for her.

_But why?_ Thought Serena_. They don't know me. They've never met me. Yet ever since I got here they've welcomed me._

"You still don't get it, do you?" Sailor Starhealer said, reading into her thoughts.

"Huh?" Serena blinked.

"You saved them, Serena," Yaten said quietly. "Just as surely as you saved us. Just as you saved Kakyuu and Galaxia from Chaos. Where did you think all these Senshi were when Chaos was threatening us? They might as well have been dead after he took all their Star Seeds. You gave the Universe a second chance. It's what we've been trying to hammer into you since you came here. You are a hero, even amongst heroes, Sailor Moon."

It struck Serena just then, and she took another look around the stadium. She looked at each and every face. She saw the smiles and even a few tears. It was the same look on the crowd's faces the day the Eon Celebration started. These weren't just fans. These weren't just people trying to please her for diplomacy's sake. These people were grateful to her. Realizing the gravity of what she'd done only now made her want to cry, laugh, faint and blush at the same time. It was easy just thinking she'd saved only Earth and a few friends. But only now did she fathom that she'd saved more than just her world, and not just in an abstract sense.

"Thank you, Yaten. I couldn't have put things better myself," Sailor Rainbow Prism winked. "Perhaps you'd like my job. I've been trying to put into words how important she is for days."

"Ah, shut up already," Yaten blushed and scratched at her head in embarrassment. "I was just getting tired of how she just didn't seem to appreciate why she was here."

"I think I get it now," Serena said with a sigh. "Here I am all worried about getting hurt in a game. But I stood up against even bigger odds without even thinking about it twice because it had to be done. I can't… I can't back down now in front of everyone. They wouldn't just be disappointed…"

"… They would be devastated, Serena," Amy finished the thought for her. "And so would I."

"Amy…" Serena choked up for a second, then swallowed her feelings back down. "Boy! Sometimes I amaze myself with my foolishness," she joked instead.

"Yeah, but we forgive you. I mean without idiots the Universe would be a pretty boring place," said Taiki, sticking out her tongue impishly.

"D'oh!" Serena scowled at Starmaker, but everyone else laughed. The humor was contagious to say the least.

"Alright, now that this is finally settled," Sailor Rainbow Prism, producing a microphone from her uniform. "Let's get ready for some Hyperball!"

sssss

Within minutes the two teams were lined up against one another at center cube. Three players lined up at the middle line, facing the other team. Another player hovered on defense in front of the suspended Goal and the Goal Keeper who guarded it. The Nova Senshi were arrayed with Sailor Nova Proxima at the point in the center of the formation. Her wing-Senshi were Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse and Sailor Nova Orion. Sirius was on defense and Sailor Nova Hercules protected the Goal.

The 'Moon Team' arrayed themselves accordingly. The two Starlights lined up as wing-Senshi on either side of the point. Sailor Jupiter volunteered for point position. Sailor Moon didn't want to guard the Goal, nor be on attack, so she was placed on defense in front of Sailor Uranus. Sailor Celestia was outside the field cube, her visor activated in order to take notes on the game and analyze strategy.

Inside the field cube, gravity was not as strong as it was normally on Kinmoku, so flight was a lot easier and less strenuous. This was important because the game was forty-five minutes long and it was difficult to fly that long for anyone in normal gravity. Sailor Jupiter likened it to being as light as a feather.

"Ready? Blast-off!" Sailor Rainbow Prism, the referee, shouted into her mike. All at once a red glowing ball of elongated energy coalesced on the ground in the center of a red circle. The ball began to gyrate and spin rapidly, then was launched directly skyward up toward the space between the two point Senshi.

"I got it!" Sailor Jupiter zipped toward the ball as it reached the height of its launch.

She was caught completely by surprise when Sailor Nova Proxima dove in and smacked her forearm into Lita's face! Lita was stunned and she gripped her mouth, allowing Proxima to grab the energy ball and just like that the Novae were off on the attack.

_She damn near knocked my teeth out!_ Jupiter was shocked

"Come on, Jupiter!" Starmaker grabbed her shoulder and began to pull in the direction of their Goal. "Shape it up and get over it! She could have _really_ rattled your brains if she wanted to! Let's go and protect our Goal!"

Jupiter shook her head and followed the Starlights onto defense. Starhealer had taken a position opposite Sailor Moon, but it was three against two. The Nova Senshi had clearly played this game before. They passed rapidly amongst the three of them, looking for an opening.

Sailor Moon was confused by the speed of the attack and she over committed herself on a feint by Beetelgeuse. Instead the Nova Senshi passed to Orion, who bulled her way past Starhealer and made a beeline for Sailor Uranus on Goal.

Uranus moved up to take her on, but suddenly Proxima swooped in behind her and pinned her arms to her sides. In midair she was immobilized and Uranus could only watch helplessly as Orion darted to the right and made as if to punt it into the Goal.

By this time Jupiter and Starmaker made it back on defense and closed in from two sides. Orion smiled as if they played into her trap and threw the ball straight up. Beetelgeuse, incredibly, was already there and she booted the Hyperball through the brackets. A siren went off through the stadium and the scoreboard that hovered over the field cube toggled a point for the Nova Team.

"Goal! One point for the Nova Senshi! Time: plus one minute and thirty-six seconds!" Sailor Rainbow Prism announced. There was a mixture of boos and cheers from the capacity crowd.

"Incredible!" Sailor Celestia muttered under her breath. "They're professionals alright."

"Gah! They scored in under two minutes!" Uranus raged. "Proxima pinned me. Is that even legal?"

"Anything's legal as long as it doesn't involve energy powers," Starhealer reminded her. "Next time be ready for anything or this will be the story of our whole afternoon here."

Uranus glared at Yaten as she flew back toward center cube. Prism plucked the ball from the Goal and placed it down onto the launch circle again.

"That was scary," Serena mused aloud to herself. "They were so fast."

"Switch with me, Lita," Taiki said at mid-cube. "You take the wing and guard Beetelgeuse. Watch out for her speed. Low gravity flying and fighting is her specialty and she doesn't go easy on anyone. Just ask Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn sometime."

"Got it," Jupiter lined up as ordered. She decided to focus her frustration on her foe. She eyeballed Hercules on the far end. If she could just get the ball she could score on that giantess and even the score a little, both for herself and for her team.

"Blast off!" Prism shouted. The ball rocketed skyward instantaneously.

Sailor Starmaker showed how much more seasoned she was by getting to the ball at the same time as Proxima. The two grappled briefly for possession. Starmaker blocked a knee kick from the Nova Captain, then abruptly head-butted her in the nose! Proxima loosened her grip on the ball and Starmaker knocked her away and took off on the attack.

Starhealer, meanwhile, had darted by Orion, proving to have superior speed on that flank. Jupiter made an attempt to follow, but an elbow to the throat paralyzed her windpipe and left her slowly sinking to the floor of the cube, gasping for breath, while Beetelgeuse, who had blindsided her, rushed off toward defense.

Oh, I get it now. It's not just if you have possession. In that case, I'll show her rough! Jupiter recovered and took off at full flight speed.

Starmaker and Starhealer played their own version of keep-away as they penetrated deeper into opposing territory. Sailor Nova Sirius kept an even stance between them, never over-committing on defense. Then Beetelgeuse and Orion caught up with Proxima close behind.

Jupiter swooped in from below and to the right, trying to get open, but the Nova Senshi surprised her yet a third time. Proxima broke off the defensive and guarded her for the pass. Jupiter was cut off and when she tried to break free, Proxima caught her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back. Jupiter gasped in pain. She reached back to grab at her hair, but Proxima clamped down on her other arm in similar fashion.

This wasn't good. It was three on two against the offense. Starhealer took a pass and attempted to blaze a trail past both Sirius and Beetelgeuse. Without a third attacker, however, the tactic was doomed. She shovel-passed toward Starmaker when Sirius grabbed her by the legs.

Beetelgeuse obviously anticipated the pass, because she zipped up with alarming speed and punched Taiki squarely in the solar plexus and intercepted the ball.

Hercules hadn't even had to budge from her post on that play. Beetelgeuse was off like lightning for the other end of the cube and Proxima released Jupiter to follow, not before stunning her briefly with a chop to the collar bone.

The two Starlights were in pursuit, but were too far behind to do any good. Jupiter was even further behind than that. With Orion covering their backsides, Proxima and Beetelgeuse quickly darted around Sailor Moon's flimsy defense and were two on one with Sailor Uranus.

Uranus retreated this time until her body was squarely in front of the Goal, but that proved to be a mistake as well. Using a different strategy than the last time, Beetelgeuse kicked the ball right into Uranus' midsection. Uranus folded around the energy ball just as Proxima swept in and kicked her squarely across the face!

Uranus plunged out of the air. She kept possession of the ball, but Beetelgeuse took care of that by following up with a tackle against the force field barrier of the cube. With a cry of pain, Uranus coughed up the fumble and Beetelgeuse took it. She immediately passed upward to Proxima, who was alone directly in front of the Goal.

"No!" Sailor Moon dove in. The Starlights were closing in, but not nearly fast enough. Serena knew she had to buy just a few more seconds. She didn't think. She just stretched out with her arms.

But Proxima merely spun out of her dive and succeeded in kicking the ball past Sailor Moon for the second Goal of the game.

"Ah, _piss_!" Starhealer shouted, pulling up just a few feet short.

"They're laying the smack down," Starmaker grumbled.

"I'm sorry, you guys," Sailor Moon apologized.

"Serena, Proxy's going easy on you. She could have made you pay for your little dive there, but instead she merely spun by you," said Yaten. "Next time she comes in, surprise her. Make her pay for taking you easy!"

Serena felt a rock settle in her gut, but she nodded anyway.

Sailor Uranus was rubbing her cheek when she flew back up. "Serena, switch places with me," she commanded. "With the way things are going you're better off in the Goal. I need to be more free to be physical here."

"O-okay," Sailor Moon switched with Uranus. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Uranus said shortly. "I think I'm onto their game plan now. Proxima and Beetelgeuse are the two primary attackers. Those two are really onto each other. Almost like me and Michelle."

"Goal! One point for the Nova Team! Time: plus five minutes and fifty-two seconds!" Prism announced as she took the ball down for another launch.

"This is getting _humiliating_," Jupiter declared at center cube.

"You get Beetelgeuse again. Watch her this time," Starhealer instructed her. "I want you on the attack this time. You have to be ready for anything, Lita."

"I get it now," Jupiter said. "I'll be there for you this time."

sssss

Amy nodded to herself. The Nova Senshi were playing with predictable skill and finesse, but they were holding back against Serena. They were taking advantage of her natural timidness in sports. With Uranus and Jupiter, however, they were being appropriately physical. Overall they were relying on quickness and had a lot more solid teamwork going on right now than the Moon Team.

_But a strategy is beginning to show through. On both attacks, Sailor Nova Orion was just a decoy,_ thought Amy_. I'll need a few more series to be sure, but I should have a solid defensive strategy put together in the next few minutes._

In her mind, she began to mentally draw up the X's and O's…

sssss

Launch number three saw the Moon Team wrest control at center cube once again. This time Starmaker clearly beat Proxima to the punch and rolled away before the Nova Captain could land a retaliatory blow.

Jupiter and Starhealer broke into the open and Starmaker quickly unleashed the ball. Jupiter received it just a few feet ahead of a grasping Beetelgeuse. She then made a charge for the goal, but Beetelgeuse's speed advantage quickly made up the gap. Just as she made a play to swipe the ball from Jupiter's arms, Lita shoveled the ball back to Starmaker, who quickly relayed to a wide open Starhealer, who'd outdistanced Orion by a good distance.

Orion suddenly broke the other way and began to drift back toward center cube. Amy noted the movement and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

The critical moment came this time as Starhealer drove toward the center of the defense. Beetelgeuse swooped around with lightning speed and reinforced Sailor Nova Sirius with a double team.

"Now!" Starmaker clapped her hands for the ball. Yaten made the pass…

… And Proxima went in for the interception, anticipating the telegraphed maneuver.

But Proxima would be caught flatfooted as Taiki quickly relayed back to Jupiter. Sailor Jupiter was wide open for the score, but Sailor Nova Hercules loomed large and obscured a large portion of the Goal. By sheer bulk alone she made a pretty effective Goal Keeper.

But Jupiter had to make a fast decision. Proxima changed direction and was moving in. Beetelgeuse and Sirius settled for man coverage on the Starlights. Lita gritted her teeth and charged straight at Hercules full speed. This was her time to get even!

Beetelgeuse broke off in pursuit as she came across the middle. Hercules waited until the last second to make a lunge for Jupiter, and that was just what she was waiting for. Lita cocked her arm back and spiked the ball directly into Hercules' face, causing the Senshi giantess to hold her nose in pain. The ball ricocheted back to Lita and she skirted to the side to toss the ball into the Goal.

A buzzer went off without warning and Sailor Rainbow Prism waved the Goal off.

"Illegal Goal!" she declared. "Tossing the ball through the brackets is not allowed! The ball must either be kicked or punted in with any other part of the body besides the hands."

Sailor Jupiter snarled in self-reproach and gripped her hair in frustration. _A golden opportunity! Wasted!_

"Live ball!" Prism whistled.

Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse grabbed Jupiter by the waist and tossed her aside as Sailor Nova Hercules grabbed the ball out of the tube behind the Goal. She didn't take even a second before she heaved it high overhead down the field cube.

"She's o_pen_!" Sailor Celestia cried out, realizing the subtle strategy of Nova Orion giving up the chase on defense.

Orion received the ball well ahead of the Starlights, who were flying briskly back toward the defensive end. But Orion was wide open and would remain so for at least the next half a minute. An eternity in this game.

Orion drove toward Sailor Uranus, juking and faking this way and that in midair, barely shaking off her pursuit. Sailor Moon started to panic as she saw Orion come open and waved her arms ineffectually. She had no more clue about being a Goal Keeper than she did about defending. The Goal was essentially wide open!

Just then something astounding happened! Orion, who had a clear shot at a green keeper, suddenly looped away with the ball still clutched in her arms. She was wide open. There was no reason for her to do that at all.

Inexplicably, she waited for her teammates and the Starlights to complete their trip down into the defensive end. Orion looped back around with Uranus in hot pursuit and tossed it off to Proxima, who spun around and clocked Starhealer out of her path.

Beetelgeuse waved her arms and Starmaker cheated over in her direction. Proxima pump-faked a pass and then drove toward a frightened and overwhelmed Sailor Moon. Serena, to her credit, dove for Proxima when she was in range, but she did it with her eyes closed. Proxima easily breezed past her and punted in another point.

"Goal! One point for the Nova Team! Seven minutes, fifty-one seconds!" Prism called. The score was now three to zero.

"_Timeout_!" Amy shouted suddenly, waving her arms in the air.

Prism saw the movement and whistled. "Timeout, Moon Team! Two minutes!" she said into the microphone.

The Moon Team descended down to the ground and Amy entered the cube, waving the girls into a huddle.

"Alright," Amy said when they were all gathered. "That last series was very informative. I've found a glaring weak spot in their attack. Sailor Nova Orion took a wide open pass and had a clear shot to the Goal. Any theories as to why she didn't take the shot?"

"She can't kick worth a damn," Sailor Starhealer. "Everyone knows that."

"Really? When were you planning on informing the rest of us?" asked Amy.

"I… uh… crap," Yaten faltered.

"Okay, two things," Amy said, moving on. "First of all, Orion. We need to start manufacturing situations in which she carries the ball a lot more often. The way she didn't even attempt a shot that last go-round indicates that she has very little confidence in her ability to score, even on an open Goal. So next time I want everyone to ignore her and stick to the others like glue. Double team Beetelgeuse and Proxima and restrain them from breaking open. _Make _Orion take that shot!"

"She's not _that _bad. You give her enough wide open shots, she could still make them half the time," Starhealer said.

"But half the time is better than the rate at which they're scoring now," Amy reminded her. "And double-coverage still allows our Goal Keeper to concentrate solely on Orion. Even Serena can put her body between the ball and the Goal with little effort. Make her work for the shot and I guarantee she'll miss every time. I've seen strategies like this work in Soccer and Basketball, trust me."

"One minute," Prism swooped down and reminded them.

"Second," Amy continued. "Serena… they're going soft on you up there. You have nothing to be afraid of until they actually lash out at you. In fact the way Proxima keeps taking you for granted, it's high time you gave her a wake up call. I don't want to sound harsh here, Serena, but you're getting humiliated in front of a great many people. What the Nova Team is doing to you is even worse than anything they could possibly do to you physically."

"You're right," Serena said miserably. "It's just… the pace of this game is frightening to me. I think it would be better if you came in now for me, Amy. Even you might be better than me and you can coach the team all the time while you're in."

"No, Serena!" Amy jabbed a finger at her sternly. "I'm not going to let you back out of this! Not until you teach them a lesson!" She held up one finger in front of Sailor Moon's face. "One time. I want to see you land a hard physical blow on Proxima just _one time _before I sub for you, Serena."

Sailor Moon looked at Amy with a betrayed look, but then she swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay… I think I understand. This is for my own good."

"You see? And five years ago I would have had to explain it to you," said Amy, smiling. "Go get 'em, Sailor Moon!"

"Time up! Break the huddle and get ready for launch!" Prism whistled.

The Moon Team rose back up to their starting positions feeling a lot more confident now. Slowly but surely they were learning the nuances of the game. With Amy strategizing for them they might even break onto the scoreboard soon. The key would be to stop the Nova Senshi from scoring in every possession.

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: Part two of the Hyperbowl. The Nova Senshi keep up the pressure, but the Moon Team is slowly solving their puzzle. Can Sailor Moon and her teammates come back for an improbable win? Well... Can they at least score _one_ goal? CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE SECOND WIND


	19. The Second Wind

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE SECOND WIND

Pollux and Castor Kamen plunged out from the Wormhole neighboring the Kamenia System. Their first expectation was to be greeted by the usual Space Traffic Controller's instructions and the hubbub of communications babble between other ships in transit in and out of the system.

Their initial expectation was wrong.

"Holy _Kanna_!" Castor exclaimed, using the name of the Kamen Mother Goddess' name in vain. "What in stars is that thing!"

A massive ship, shaped like a saucer, hovered near the Wormhole as if poised to enter the system itself. Communications channels came back full of static. Almost as if they were being jammed.

"I think this is more of that Cold Star person's mischief, old buddy," Pollux switched to manual flight control and threw the yoke around in a tight arc. "We'd better get out of here before they spot us."

"I think we're too late for that," Castor said as tiny objects spat out from the surface of the massive ship. Not spacecraft, rather they were beings in metallic space suits, flying straight toward them.

"What are they?" Castor wondered.

"Sailor Libra told us that Cold Star enslaved the minds of Sailor Senshi, like Sailor Serinzia," Pollux explained. "I believe those people are more of his Senshi, which makes it pretty imperative we get out of here now."

"What about Kamenia? That ship is obviously poised to attack the System if we don't do anything," Castor argued. "We have to warn them."

"How do you propose we do that? Fire a flare? If we can't hear their message traffic, they can't hear us either," Pollux noted that their ship was not outrunning the space suited Senshi. The slaves of Cold Star had jet packs on their suits to help them with speed. "We have to get out of here. They're attacking Kamenia because the Kamen represent a threat to Cold Star. We have to get to Kinmoku, because Alpha Senshi is surely next on their hit list!"

Castor nodded. He didn't like abandoning his world, but that couldn't be helped right now. "Alright… But it takes fifteen minutes for the Wormhole to open again. We don't have a _Hypervexer_ on board to trigger one artificially. What do we do until then?"

"We play dodge the Hyperball until then," Pollux declared, rolling starboard and upward.

sssss

Sailor Jupiter carried the ball tucked in the crook of her arm as she flew as fast as she could down the right side of the field cube. In hot pursuit was Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse, who once again was exhibiting superior speed and was rapidly closing the gap.

"Jupiter! _Left_!" Yaten called out.

Jupiter lateraled the ball to her left without looking and Sailor Starhealer took the ball the rest of the way in. Beetelgeuse broke off and assisted Proxima. Sailor Nova Sirius cheated over toward the two of them.

Sailor Nova Orion and Sailor Starmaker were jostling for position all the way across the middle. Because they were so close together, Starhealer made no attempt to pass the ball that way. It was just Jupiter and Starhealer tossing the ball back and forth. Slowly but surely they moved within the striking zone of the Goal.

Sailor Nova Sirius finally committed to the offensive charge. Sailor Nova Proxima made a tackle for Starhealer's legs in an attempt to shake her off target.

"Jupiter!" Yaten cried out as she was dragged off course.

Lita opened her arms to receive the pass, but both she and the Nova Senshi were surprised when Starhealer tossed the ball with all her might directly in the air.

In seconds it became obvious what the strategy was. Sailor Starmaker had only been pretending to be wrestling ineffectually with Sailor Nova Orion. At the sound of Yaten's call for Jupiter, she had bolted free from the contest and headed high and fast over the middle. Orion, who had been content on hindering the left wing, was utterly surprised by the sudden change.

The result of the play was Sailor Starmaker reaching the ball just above and in front of the Goal. Instead of catching it with her hands, she spun in midair and booted it straight down toward the brackets. The ball fired in like a bullet, but Sailor Nova Hercules was ready and she stopped the ball with one outstretched hand. Her size enabled her to cover the zone almost completely.

The Nova Senshi were nothing if not proficient, however. Almost before Starmaker took the shot Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse and Orion were zooming toward the far end of the field cube. Hercules knew this and she let the ball fly like a football Quarterback as soon as she had her giant hand on the ball.

When the two Starlights attempted pursuit, Proxima and Sirius tackled both of them and slowed their momentum. Sailor Jupiter was left alone going back on defense.

Sailor Nova Beetelgeuse received the ball and made amazing headway toward the Moon Team's Goal. Sailor Uranus positioned herself in front of Beetelgeuse as Sailor Nova Orion came around the right flank. Beetelgeuse juked one way, then spun the other in an attempt to lose her pursuit. When Uranus didn't bite, she lateraled the ball over to Orion.

Sailor Uranus smiled and ignored Orion, staying now on pass coverage on Beetelgeuse. Orion, as expected, didn't take a shot at the goal, she held the ball as if wanting to pass it back to her partner. But Uranus barely managed to stay on Beetelgeuse. When it looked as if her speed might take her away into the open, Uranus would grab her and pull her back into coverage.

Sailor Nova Proxima was at mid-cube and charging fast to get in the zone. But the Starlights were on her tail. Sailor Jupiter returned from the far end and joined Uranus on the coverage on Beetelgeuse. Orion was left open with two Senshi on either teammate, cutting off the pass routes.

"_Shoot it_!" Beetelgeuse finally bellowed.

Sailor Nova Orion squinted with concentration and determination as she prepared to shoot.

Sailor Moon cheated over to that side of the Goal and set herself. _Don't be afraid of the ball! Don't be afraid of the ball! _she told herself.

Orion blasted a kick off her left foot. The ball sailed hard and fast and Sailor Moon, despite herself, flinched. Fortunately for Sailor Moon, the ball sailed wide right and bounced harmlessly off the force field wall a good five feet shy of the brackets. Sailor Starhealer recovered the ball.

And down on the ground, outside the cube, Sailor Celestia smiled.

Her strategy had worked. They had found a weakness...

sssss

"Holy cow! She's a _terrible _shot!" Mina exclaimed from her seat outside the cube. The rest of the Senshi were seated around her. Hotaru to the right, Katsie and Birdie to the left, Michelle and even Trista were seated in front one row down. Behind Mina sat Princess Kakyuu and Sailor Galaxia in their special box seats.

"It would seem that timeout Amy called was well played," said Galaxia with a knowing smile. "They've changed their tactics to account for the Nova Senshi's one glaring weakness."

"That's our Amy!" cried Mina, impulsively embracing Hotaru. Hotaru blushed and giggled in response.

"Go, Moon Team! Go! Time for a rally!" Birdie stood up in her seat and shouted.

"It was only the first missed shot of the day," said Trista calmly, but icily. "The Nova Senshi are far too good at this game to let strategy hold them down."

"And just who's side are you on?" Katsie leaned over to ask.

It was meant to be a joke, but Trista didn't take it that way. "I'm simply maintaining how unfair this match-up is."

"I get the sensation that no matter who they played in this sport, Trista, our team would have lost anyway," said Michelle soothingly. "I turned out not to be the most talented musician in the Galaxy, but you don't see me crying 'foul'."

Trista glared at nothing in particular. "How can you be so forgiving of them? After what happened to Amara?"

"What happened to Amara was the act of one Senshi. I don't hold it against Sailor Galaxia or anyone else," said Michelle, looking at Trista with genuine concern.

"Indeed," Trista snorted.

"Trista, what is the matter?" Michelle put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You've been so dark and brooding lately. What is it with this place?"

Trista abruptly stood up stiffly. "You're right, Michelle. It _is_ this place. But you could never understand. Nobody could." She turned around and looked up at Galaxia, to whom the exchange had not gone unnoticed. "I'm leaving," Trista declared to Galaxia. "I respectfully request the use of a ship to take back to Earth. I don't much like leaving it in the hands of unfamiliar Senshi."

Galaxia's expression was neutral as she locked gazes with Sailor Pluto.

"Wait a minute. What'd I miss?" Mina asked quietly.

"Trista…" Hotaru stood up.

Pluto stopped her with a raised hand and continued to glower at Galaxia. "Well? Or do you prefer I beg?"

Princess Kakyuu made a shocked sound and immediately put a restraining hand on Galaxia's shoulder. The move turned out to be unnecessary. Galaxia simply sighed and relented. "Very well," she replied. "You shall have your wish. It's a pity that despite my sincerest of efforts I could not get through to you."

"You didn't resort to what you're good at. _Coercion_," Trista fired back. "Did you honestly think that throwing a big party would heal all the wounds? I'll _never _forgive you for what you did!"

"Is it _me_ you cannot bring yourself to forgive, Princess Setsuna?" asked Galaxia calmly. "Or yourself?"

That seemed to be the last straw. Sailor Pluto bit back a retort and stormed out of the stadium. Others made a move to follow her, but it was Kakyuu this time who stood up and said: "Please… let her go. If she wishes to leave, you should let her. This place… causes her pain. It was irresponsible of me to invite her here."

Kakyuu looked so distressed and sad that the other Senshi could only wonder what in the world had happened long ago to drive a wedge so deep between Galaxia and Pluto?

Meanwhile, oblivious to the goings on in the audience, the game continued…

sssss

The Nova Senshi went on the attack again after another stop by Sailor Nova Hercules at their Goal. But Amy's strategy was effective in shutting their offense down. Each time the Nova Team came to score, the Moon Team would double up on Proxima and Beetelgeuse, leaving Sailor Nova Orion open to either attempt a shot or try to make a tough pass.

The Novae weren't without a little strategy themselves. Proxima and Beetelgeuse attempted shots even as smothered as they were by the defense, but their shots either sailed wide or were intercepted by the other team.

Sailor Moon, for her part, didn't have to do too much. She just hovered in front of the Goal and made sure that the ball came up short each time. She was getting the hang of this, especially of Orion's terrible aim, and she even caught the ball a few times.

Once, with twenty minutes remaining in the game, Orion tried to charge at the Goal and fire from point blank range. Sailor Moon recoiled in fear.

"Serena! Don't be afraid! _Hit _her!" Uranus shouted.

"But…" Serena looked at the hard charging Orion, who looked like she was going to drive right through her at full force. Frustration was evident on her face. She was determined to score.

Sailor Moon understood something just then. If she didn't defend herself she would get hurt. Her team would lose another point to the Nova Senshi. And she remembered Amy's ultimatum during that time out.

Just _one _hit…

There was no more time to think. Orion slammed into her midsection and sent her flying out of the way of the Goal brackets. The ball was still tucked in her right arm. Before she disengaged to take the easy shot, Sailor Moon grabbed onto the ball in Orion's right arm and tried to wrestle it out of her grip.

Orion growled and fought back, pulling in the opposite direction. Serena pulled even harder in response.

For several moments the two were frozen in midair like that, then Orion cocked her left fist back to punch Serena in the face. Serena knew her time had come. Without thinking, she blocked the punch with her left arm, released her grip on the ball, and whirled around and counterpunched Orion with her right.

The blow knocked Orion for a loop. Sailor Moon once again gripped the ball and this time wrested it free from the shocked Nova Sailor.

"Serena!" Sailor Starmaker called out from far away.

Sailor Moon looked to see that Starmaker had broken free from defense and was on the run toward the other end of the cube. Proxima and Beetelgeuse both swerved to follow her, but were tied up by their opponents once more.

Serena flew up high, wound her arm back with the ball in her hand, and threw it with all her might. The ball wobbled like a lame duck through the air, but Starmaker managed to grab it and she was off like a shot. Her teammates broke off and followed, as did the Nova Team.

Sailor Moon wandered back to her spot in front of the Goal, feeling shaky from what she'd done. Sailor Nova Orion took a second to look back at Sailor Moon. Serena expected a rebuke, but what she got was a toothy grin and a thumb's up.

"Nice hit," Orion said, before flying back on defense.

sssss

With their offense essentially thwarted, the Nova Senshi decided to fall back from extending their lead to protecting it. And here is where they excelled. Sailor Starhealer had explained that the Nova Senshi were number one in their league last year in defending, and that's what had won them their championship.

Amy, as promised, relieved Sailor Moon and conducted strategy from the Goal position. But no matter what she came up with, Sailor Nova Hercules was the one obstacle she couldn't think around. Hercules pretty much smothered the small Goal with her size and stopped every shot.

Thus with three minutes remaining the score was the same as it had been in the first ten: Nova Team: three; Moon Team: zero.

"Damn! I had her once!" Lita growled during their final timeout. "If I hadn't messed up and thrown the ball in we'd at least be on the board right now!"

"Don't be too hard on yourself. The fact we only lost by three is pretty impressive. Particularly given who we're facing here," said Yaten. "I don't see as how we can score three goals in the last three minutes anyway. We might as well just play zone the rest of the way and let time run out."

"No way! I want one more shot!" exclaimed Lita. "I want one more shot at that behemoth!"

"Are you sure you're not taking this revenge thing a little too seriously?" Taiki asked her.

"I just won't be satisfied until I get one past her," said Sailor Jupiter.

"Alright," Celestia decided. "Then here's what we're going to do…"

sssss

The Moon Team retained possession of the ball with one minute remaining and began their final charge. This time they pulled the defender and Sailor Uranus went with them. The Nova Team, who had resorted to "zone" themselves, spread out and put loose, but firm pressure on the attackers.

Sailor Celestia's strategy was for Jupiter to sneak around the high left side and stay on the periphery. The Starlights and Uranus were to collapse inward, passing the ball often and causing the Nova Team to collapse their defense and virtually ignore Jupiter.

The three Moon teammates passed so rapidly back and forth that it seemed they were playing "hot potato". But the tactic had its desired effect. The Nova Senshi fell back and maintained coverage. Suddenly the middle of the cube in front of the Nova Goal was crowded with jostling Senshi.

Then, at just the right moment, Sailor Jupiter swooped down from the high left side and circled around behind Sailor Nova Hercules, who was moving back to smother the Goal once more. Jupiter gritted her teeth and dove with all her might toward the giant Senshi.

Hercules never saw it coming. Jupiter slammed both feet into her backside and literally drop-kicked her out of the way. This left Jupiter alone directly in front of the Goal, uncovered.

Sailor Nova Sirius desperately tried to fall back to cover Jupiter, but she was over thirty feet away. Sailor Starhealer received the ball one last time, then fired a bullet pass to Jupiter.

Jupiter caught the ball cleanly and set up to punt the ball through the brackets. Sailor Nova Hercules had recovered and was charging back, but Lita barely kicked the ball into the Goal just a split second before Hercules slammed into her and tackled her out of the air.

"_Goal_!" Sailor Rainbow Prism shouted. "One point for the Moon Team!"

The crowd stood up and screamed in delight, even as time expired on the game clock. Even though the Moon Team had lost they had managed to punch a ball through and keep from being shut out.

Jupiter had been so stunned by the massive hit that it took her a moment to realize she was still in Sailor Nova Hercules' massive arms. She realized Hercules was standing on the floor of the cube, cradling Lita in her arms. Jupiter was used to being the "tall one" of the group, but being near Hercules made her feel so small and delicate.

Hercules looked down at Jupiter and broke into a smile. "Congratulations," she said in a small voice.

Lita blushed and jumped down from her arms just as the rest of her team came down and clapped her on the back, congratulating her for her point also.

"You did it!" Amy flew in and embraced her.

"Actually, it was you," said Lita. "If the Nova Team hadn't ignored me like you said they would, I wouldn't have even gotten close."

It was Amy's turn to blush at the praise. Amid the crazed screaming of the crowd outside the cube, the two teams landed on the ground, sweating, but happy, and congratulated one another with handshakes and smiles all around.

"You caught onto our offense quick," said Proxima to Amy. "I thought we'd get a few more by you before you figured out our weak spot."

"I have just one question, however," Amy replied. "Why put Orion on your offense if she's so bad at shooting?"

"Because Sailor Nova Sirius is even worse," Proxima laughed.

"_Hey_!" Sirius griped in protest.

They were in the middle of laughing when Sailor Neptune entered the field cube and whispered something in her lover's ear. Uranus' smile immediately melted away.

The exchange didn't escape Lita's attention. "What? What is it?"

"There's been a bit of a problem," said Michelle seriously. "Trista is trying to go home."

"What?" Lita asked. "Why?"

"Where's Sailor Moon?" Proxima asked suddenly. "I thought she was on the sideline a moment ago."

"Serena went off to find Trista. I think we should do the same. Something tells me she needs us right now," said Michelle.

The mood inside the cube immediately dampened. "Let's go," said Amy.

TO BE CONTINUED...

NEXT: CHAPTER NINETEEN: BLACK STAR RISING!


	20. Black Star Rising

CHAPTER NINETEEN: BLACK STAR RISING!

With a resounding thud, Pollux Kamen winced as his rear deflector shields winked out. The generator could no longer handle the constant energy bombardment. "How much time do we have?" he asked Castor, barely keeping his voice cool.

"Two minutes until Wormhole Maw Burst," said Castor, squeezing another salvo out of the energy cannons. As usual the laser bursts missed wide of their target. "These stupid Senshi are way too maneuverable and far too small. These lasers were made for hitting opposing ships, not individual people in a wide open space."

"Less whining, more blasting," Pollux reminded his brother. "Things aren't exactly rosy on my end."

A particularly close explosion rocked the shuttle. "I think we just lost a stabilizer," Pollux said. "At this rate we'll be a dead stick before the Wormhole yawns."

"Do you think they want to destroy us, or just capture us?" asked Castor.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, they _are _Senshi. If they board us maybe I can charm our way out of trouble," said Castor jokingly.

"Right," Pollux allowed himself a short laugh despite the situation. "You always did have a way with women. But these are Cold Star's girls, no doubt about it. I don't know where he's getting all these Senshi to do his bidding, but I don't think they'll be charmed by you."

"Yeah, perhaps you're right," Castor sighed half-heartedly. "In any case they're gaining on us. I can't do anything with these lasers and the Wormhole's still seventy seconds from yawning."

"Charges," Pollux snapped his fingers. "Seismic Charges! You don't need to aim with those!"

"Are you nuts? Seismic Charges are for blowing up Asteroids. They could easily tear this ship apart, not to mention making corpses out of those Senshi out there," Castor argued.

"We'll put a delay timer on the charge so our ship can get clear of the shockwave," said Pollux. "As for them… Well, I don't think they're truly Senshi anymore."

"Let's hope Galaxia sees things from that perspective when we give our report to her on Kinmoku," Castor replied, punching in the launch sequence for the Seismic Charges. "Launch number one in three… two… one…"

The cylindrical canister launched from the rear of the shuttle and propelled itself into the midst of the oncoming space-suited Senshi. The Senshi more or less ignored the object.

"Either they don't know a charge when they see one, or they must think it's a dud," said Castor in an odd voice. "They're not avoiding it at all."

"The quickest way to end a stroke of luck is to ask why it is," said Pollux. "Okay, we're clear. Set off the charge."

With a rumble and a strong vibration of the shuttle, the Seismic Charge behind them exploded in the middle of the Senshi, throwing dozens of bodies around like rag dolls, smashing them into one another. Many of the bodies were limp and looked decidedly lifeless.

"Well, that did it. Wormhole Maw Burst imminent," Castor reported.

"Not a moment too soon," Pollux responded. "Now to make our escape!"

"And let's hope Kamenia can hold out until we get back with reinforcements," said Castor fervently.

"They will. Kamen don't back down from a fight," said Pollux. "There's the Wormhole again."

Space in front of them seemed to shimmer, then spiral inward until the center exploded outward, forming a bottomless tunnel of sub-space matter that formed a rainbow mottling that was quite beautiful. Pollux steered the crippled shuttle into the Wormhole. The Senshi following pulled up short. Unless one was in a ship, one didn't dare go into Hyperspace. With another bang, the Wormhole sealed itself shut behind the Kamen.

"I hope you programmed the exit vector," said Castor. "Although if you didn't it's already a little too late."

"I had the exit vector entered as soon as we started that chase. Next stop, Kinmoku," said Pollux. "We made it."

sssss

To the uninitiated, the lovely rainbow array of Hyperspace was a thing of wonder. To Sailor Polaris, who had made such Hyperspace jumps literally hundreds of times before, she couldn't be more indifferent to the view outside her ship: _The Compass Rose._

Polaris was reclined in her pilot's seat, drifting off to sleep. Suddenly the comfortable silence of the main cabin was interrupted by the door chime as one of her partners on this mission opened the door and entered.

She turned her head slightly and opened her heavy eyelids to greet Sailor Farakeen, a black-haired, blue-eyed Senshi dressed in black, white and blue Senshi attire.

"Hello, Lixue," said Sailor Farakeen.

"Hello, Fara. Did you sleep well?" asked Polaris.

"That depends. How much closer to Kardaffu are we?" asked Farakeen.

"Not long. About five more minutes," said her friend, turning back to her station to check.

"What was the last situation report from Kardaffu before we left orbit?" asked Fara, sitting in the co-pilot's chair to Polaris' right.

"Nothing. Complete communication blackout," said Lixue. "How's Sailor Kardaffu doing in back?"

"Naturally Melorna is beside herself. She hasn't been able to sleep," said Fara. "She knows what nobody wants to admit out loud. Only when a Planet is being _invaded _does a complete blackout occur."

"I agree. I think we can expect trouble the very second we step out of Hyperspace," said Lixue.

"Trouble enough for four Senshi?" asked Fara.

"Maybe bigger than that."

They were about to find out. A few minutes later the alarm for the Wormhole junction began to sound and the two strapped themselves to their seats. Lixue radioed back for the other two Senshi to do likewise.

"Junction point reached," said Lixue, looking down at her computer. "You ready? Time to tickle the Wormhole." She pulled the Hyperspace lever back and suddenly the tunnel of Hyperspace seemed to open wide ahead of them to reveal a field of blackness and stars. Sailor Polaris steered the shuttle into the hole and the ship emerged into Space.

They turned thirty degrees starboard until Kardaffu was in sight. The sight that greeted them confirmed their worst fears in that very second. The blue and brown Planet below them was under attack. The Kardaffian Space Fleet was embroiled in a fierce battle against a massive saucer-shaped craft and seemingly thousands of tiny little blips that darted about from ship to ship.

"Great Shiina!" Sailor Farakeen gasped. "Who in this day and age would be doing this and why?"

"Our mission is to find out. We're going in," Sailor Polaris fired her booster jets forward.

"Shouldn't we radio back to Kinmoku what we see?" asked Fara.

"How? We're well inside their jamming radius. We need to record what we see and then somehow get back to Kinmoku with the data for Galaxia," said Lixue. "And besides, it looks like Kardaffu isn't doing too well here. I want to at least offer a little bit of help."

"I feel so sorry for Melorna. No doubt she sees what's going on from her view right now and it must be tearing her apa--" Someone walked into the cabin just then. The two turned to see Sailor Kardaffu standing there at the door. She had light blue hair and matching eyes. Eyes that were fixed solidly on the battle ahead. Her shoulders were tense and her fists were clenched and shaking.

"Take me down there," she ordered.

"That's not your decision to make. Now go back and strap in," said Polaris.

"I said, take me _down_!" Melorna barked.

"We are entering a battle zone and I need you to be focused," Lixue replied tersely. "Kardaffu has enough defenses to hold out against an invasion for quite some time. Our job is to gather data and get back to Galaxia… _alive_… so that we can give her that data and plan how best to counter this enemy!"

"Fine, you do that! Just take me down and you can continue your mission without me. My Planet needs my help," said Melorna.

"You can do your world a lot more good by following our procedures, Sailor Kardaffu," Lixue felt her patience fraying at the edges. The battle was looming closer. She didn't have time for this kind of discussion.

"Don't give me that crap!" Melorna exploded. "How do you think _you _would feel if the Polaris System were under attack?! _Would you worry about procedures then_?!"

"Umm, Lixue. If I may…" Sailor Farakeen interjected before Polaris could explode back at her. "All she wants is to be taken down to the surface and dropped off. We could gather just as much data from the ground as we can in the air. In fact the Kardaffians have been fighting already for several hours. Why not just gather the data _they've _compiled?"

"God _dammit_!!" Sailor Polaris changed course and began diving toward the embattled Planet. "When this is over I'm having _both_ of you put up for disciplinary review!"

Laser bursts glanced off the shuttle's deflector shields as it dove downward through the battle. From up close it became obvious that the tiny shapes darting around and attacking the Space Station and Capital Ships were not fighters, but rather space-suited figures. Female figures. But any further observation was impossible to make as they attempted to burst through the center of the battle formation. Kardaffian Control didn't try to warn them off. But then again, they couldn't if they tried. The radio remained silent.

"Did it ever occur to you that if we land we might not get off this Planet again?" Polaris asked as a particularly hard concussion rattled the ship.

"Thank you…" Melorna said more calmly.

"Save it. I'll grant your request because I do understand what you're going through. But when we get home you'll be standing before Galaxia, explaining yourself," Lixue felt so frustrated she wanted to take a few pot shots at the enemy. But the shuttle's shields were not made for pitched battle, and they were getting hit from seemingly every angle.

Finally, they broke into the upper atmosphere. The battle had not yet reached the surface. But it wouldn't be long before the attackers punched through.

Several tense minutes later they were putting down on an empty platform outside of the Capital City's branch of the Kardaffian Defense Force. KDF soldiers stood outside the ship with their weapons aimed. When Sailor Kardaffu stepped out, they immediately lowered them.

"She's here! Send word to the King! Sailor Kardaffu is here to help us!" the Guard Captain shouted to one of his subordinates.

"Take me to the Palace. I wish to know where I'm needed," Kardaffu cut straight to the chase with the Guard Captain.

"Of course, Senshi Prime. This way please," the Captain ushered her toward a waiting Skycar.

"We'll be coming along," said Polaris. "We're going to need every bit of data you've collected on the enemy thus far."

"As you wish. Can I take it by your presence that Galaxia might get involved?" asked the Captain, sliding into the driver's seat. Sailor Polaris and Sailor Farakeen slid into the back seat while Sailor Kardaffu rode shotgun. The fourth member of their team, Sailor Aion, remained on board the shuttle to keep it ready for rapid takeoff if necessary.

The Skycar was modified for top speed travel, and so the trip to the Kardaffian Royal Palace took only three minutes. When they got there, the King was already standing on the landing platform with relief clearly on his face. Like others of his race, he was upright like a person, but covered in fur and with the face of a Canine. What set him apart was his wolf-like features and the white tuft of fur under his elongated chin that marked him as the Alpha Male.

"Thank the Gods!" he exclaimed when Kardaffu stepped out of the Skycar. "It's good to have you here, my lady. It will do morale good when the men see you in action."

"I'll do what I can. In the meantime I need you to do me a favor," said Kardaffu, bowing to the King. She stepped aside and motioned to the other two. "This is Sailor Farakeen. The other Senshi is Councilor Sailor Polaris of Kinmoku. I need you to get them access to your Defense Control. Give them whatever they ask for. The faster you help them the more likely they can go and get help before our situation grows too desperate."

"Chamberlain," the King motioned his advisor forward. The Chamberlain was a brown-furred Kardaffian with a stunted muzzle and a round belly. "Escort these two Senshi upstairs to Defensive Control and ensure their every wish is granted."

"Good luck, Sailor Kardaffu," said Polaris before going into the Palace. "And be careful."

"The feeling is mutual, Sailor Polaris," Melorna clasped arms with her. "And again, thank you."

sssss

Upstairs in Defensive Control, chaos was the order of the day. Technicians darted from station to station, barking and yipping commands back and forth across the room. In some areas there were even a few growls from those with frayed nerves and patience.

The gruff voice of the Chamberlain cut into the chaos like a hot knife. "Gentlemen! These two Senshi have come from Kinmoku to offer help. Give them everything they say they need, no matter what hoops you have to jump through. Don't make them ask for information. Every bit of data we have on the enemy is theirs for the having, understand?"

Everyone nodded, then continued about their business. Sailor Polaris and Sailor Farakeen immediately joined them.

sssss

On Kinmoku, Sailor Pluto stood on the floating platform that hovered over the block nearest the Galaxy Arena. With barely contained patience, she allowed the Senshi technicians to perform their final preflight checks on the shuttle she was about to fly home to Earth.

Off in the distance, the roar of the crowd from the Galaxy Arena could be heard over the whipping wind. Trista almost immediately felt the pang of regret. The distinct sensation she was being left out. But she couldn't go back. Not now. She would only look like a fool to everyone if she went back on her words. She would only play right into Galaxia's hands.

And _that_ was something she would never be a victim of. She had promised herself long ago that she would never fall into her influence. To Trista, Galaxia was a manipulator, a traitor, a dictator. She was everything she was trying so very hard to mold Sailor Moon into _not _becoming. And now… She was losing her. Losing her to that Senshi!

A thousand years ago she remembered being naïve as well. Trista made an effort to actively observe and monitor History with her own eyes. Surely doing so would make her a more aware and diligent Time Guardian, she had thought. Trista had known that other Time Guardians before her, her Mother included, had abstained from doing so and had cautioned her against such action. But Trista did so anyway. How, after all, could such knowledge hurt her?

What Trista ended up learning was more than she was prepared to learn. Over time she came upon the revolution that had split the Senshi race in two. She learned about Sailor Serenity. Of course now Trista knew that her cause was misguided, but back then the young Time Guardian had been swept up by Serenity's oratory. The fact that Serenity was Sailor Moon's ancestor clouded her judgment even further.

It's true that Trista, given the same choice now, would not dare make the mistake of actively participating in History again, nor would she especially help Sailor Serenity try to rule the Universe with an iron glove, buried under her misguided notion of pity and charity. What still rankled Trista to this day was the actions of Serenity's prized student.

Sailor Galaxia had begun the movement for reform under the tutelage of Serenity. For a time she had been just as swept up by the fervor as Serenity's other followers. But then Galaxia changed. Something happened that even Trista could not see. Something even the Guardian of Time could not peer into. Galaxia returned from her travels and abruptly took steps opposing her former teacher and mentor. She preached acceptance and the idea of a Confederation rather than an Empire.

With seasoned eyes, Trista knew that Galaxia had ultimately the better idea. But the execution of said ideals was utterly _repulsive_!

Galaxia openly defied Serenity in a session of the Council. The argument grew so heated that Galaxia began to challenge Serenity's right to the Archsenshi throne. Serenity had won the no-confidence vote that resulted and cast Galaxia out. Galaxia responded by going from world to world and warning them of what was to come. When Serenity made her move for unification with a mighty fleet of warships at her command, Galaxia led the resistance against the fleet. Thousands of ships clashed in battle over several Systems and the result was the same every time. The aliens of the Galaxy were routed, in some cases they were obliterated! Galaxia escaped death and fled, having led millions of lives to ruin and death.

And then, as if she hadn't done enough. Galaxia boldly went back to Kinmoku in the face of her exile and used the images of death and carnage that Serenity had unwillingly caused as evidence of Serenity's corruption. The Senshi of the Council then were moved to tears. Many resigned from the Council right there on the spot. Others openly turned away from Serenity and sided with Galaxia. Alpha Senshi was split in two. Another battle was inevitable. This time it was between Senshi. The most terrible battle imaginable!

Trista shuddered at the memory of the battle. At the number of dead and wounded Senshi on the battlefield outside of Alpha Senshi. At the devastation to a large portion of the city itself. Finally Galaxia's faction won and Serenity was cast out. Trista was captured in the fighting and was forced to reveal herself as the Guardian of Time. The moment she did so, Chronos, her Father, and Sornia, her Mother, both came back in time to bring her back. Galaxia demanded Trista's punishment. As if _she _had been the one to blithely order the deaths of millions. And on top of that, her Mother and Father listened to Galaxia. Trista's humiliation that day was the worst of all the indignities.

Just thinking about it made Trista want to lash out. But she contained her anger. Galaxia always was a persuader. Always preaching people into believing her own best interests were better than theirs. Always manipulating people. And now she was slowly reeling her friends, her only living family, into her net. It made her sick to think about it. It made her even sicker knowing that it was working. All her friends had turned against her. Maybe she should have just stayed in the Time Stream.

"Trista!" a distant voice called out.

Sailor Pluto turned her head slightly. Someone was flying her way, struggling a bit with the gravity. It was Serena.

_As expected. She came to talk me out of leaving,_ Trista sighed. That cheer at the stadium must have been the end of the game. It looked as though she wouldn't get away without a guilt trip after all.

"Trista, what's going on? Why are you leaving?" Serena landed heavily on the platform. "Did somebody say something to you? What happened?"

Trista kept her face neutral and carefully put up a wall around her emotions. "No, Serena, nothing's wrong here. All of you are simply enjoying yourselves, whereas I am not. I am not needed here, so I am going home where I _am _needed."

"We're _all _needed back at home, Trista, but if you don't take a break now and again, you'll get gray hairs," Serena tried to joke.

"Then by all means, enjoy it. Enjoy this little party that Galaxia set up just for you," said Trista, turning to walk back to the shuttle. "Go ahead and let her butter you up. And at the end of the day, you go ahead and sign whatever little treaty she has cooked up. Bow down and kiss her toes for all I care. You're the leader, after all."

Serena gasped at Trista's sarcasm. Was there something wrong with what she was doing? "And just what is it that I'm doing so wrong that it's clearly pissing you off?" Serena was getting frustrated. "Am I doing something wrong? I don't know. You're not talking to me. You haven't so much as spoken a dozen sentences since you got here, and you've turned away every person who has wanted to help. I'm not a mind reader. I still have trouble with _verbal _language. If what I'm doing is wrong, why don't you tell me what it is and why?"

"Because it's meaningless, Princess," Trista turned again and allowed some of her own anger to show. "I can see it in your eyes. You've already been _bought_. Anything I say to you will just have you taking Galaxia's side and defending her, and I _don't _wish to waste my time like that. I especially don't like seeing a descendant of the greatest lineage of Sailor Soldiers kow-towing to that self-serving _dictator_!"

Serena would not give up. A fact which surprised Trista somewhat. "Okay… You don't like her. This I can see. What I can't see is why you seem to think I'm some kind of puppet on a string for Galaxia to toy with. I'm not a very smart woman, Trista, so why don't you spell things out for me? What did she ever do to you?"

Trista shook her head. "You know I can't reveal--"

"--Can't reveal that kind of information. Yeah, I know the routine," Serena interrupted. "So tell me anyway. Goodness knows any other time you've kept secrets from me and the others it's always worked to our disadvantage. And since when did you become the Guardian of Time again? You were fired, remember?"

"Galaxia doesn't care about you, Serena," Trista replied coldly. "She never has. There's only one thing she's ever wanted. Control. Control of the entire Galaxy. Her word must be law or else it is wrong. Your power could help her achieve her dream. You stand to become one of the most powerful Senshi in all of history. Galaxia wishes to harness that power to complete her dream."

"I don't believe that!" Serena blustered.

"Why not? Because she's been kind to you?" Trista smirked. "Galaxia has many, many forms of persuasion. She knows from experience you won't fall to aggression or threats. But if she pretends to be your friend, she'll draw you in like a moth to a flame. Because that's the kind of person you are. You respond to the smallest hint of kindness with absolute devotion."

Serena scowled at Trista. "Well excuse me if that's a bad thing. But there's one thing you've forgotten about in all your conspiracy theories, Trista. What about Princess Kakyuu? Do you honestly think she's as beholden to Galaxia as you think? Is _she _an agent of Galaxia trying to tempt us into an alliance? What about the Starlights? Those two have absolutely no reason to owe loyalty to her, but they do! I can't believe you, Trista. I really can't believe you. I always thought you were the mature one. I always counted on your advice, because you were always the most experienced. The sensible one. But of all the insensible… insensitive things I have ever heard…" Serena's eyes teared up. "You know what? I don't want to know anymore. I don't want to know why you hate these people so much. If hate is the only thing you can feel for your own kind, then that's your burden. Just don't try making me and the rest of us feel guilty for doing what we feel is right."

Serena turned away, even as the rest of her Senshi landed on the platform.

"Pluto!" Sailor Jupiter shouted as she touched down.

"Where are you going, Trista?" Uranus called out practically at the same time.

"Let her go," said Serena despondently, walking past them.

"_What_?!" That response took every single one of them by surprise, bringing all of them up short.

Trista, meanwhile, resumed her trek toward the waiting shuttle. She had made her decision. Maybe Serena had a point, but that didn't mean Galaxia was any better of a person. One didn't have to _like_ Galaxia to be sucked into trusting her. Trista was convinced what she was doing was the right thing. She hated being the odd one out in this situation. She hated alienating her teammates even more. But she also felt it was time to make a statement. Something to get Serena and the others thinking.

As Trista disappeared into the shuttle hatch, the others were frozen between continuing their pursuit of Sailor Pluto, or heeding their leader's apparent frustration. Whatever was spoken between the two, the conversation didn't end well. For Serena to simply give up on one of her friends was even more troubling.

"You just want to let her go?" Mina asked her.

"Trista's got some issues to work out," Serena frowned off the edge of the landing platform. "It's obvious she's not going to get over it here. I should have addressed this sooner, but I didn't think the issue was anywhere near this bad."

"Well… I suppose if even you think that…" Mina hesitantly agreed.

"What is the matter with her?" Amara was nearly as frustrated as Serena. "Why does she always feel the need to shut us all out?"

Amy stood by, torn by the situation. She was fairly certain she knew why Trista was leaving, but should she violate the promise she made to Sailor Rainbow Prism to not tell anyone else?

A tiny hand reached out and wrapped around hers, causing Amy to look down upon the rainbow Senshi. There was something Amy wasn't altogether used to. Having to look down at someone other than a child. As one of the shorter-statured Senshi on her team, looking down to talk to anyone other than Hotaru was kind of a new experience in itself.

Violet met her gaze and nodded fractionally. "I think it would clear up a lot of things if they knew. But it's not for me or you to reveal the truth. Only one woman can do that."

"Galaxia?" Amy surmised.

As a response, Prism activated her wrist communicator and lightly tapped a certain combination of buttons. It was Galaxia's voice that answered: "Speak."

"Tara, it's Violet," said Prism crisply. "We need to talk. I'm bringing the Earth Senshi with me."

Amy raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was the first time she'd ever heard anyone address Galaxia like an equal. The silence on the other side lasted only a moment before Galaxia finally replied. "I agree. Bring them all to the Hall of Victors."

Prism cut the communication and smiled. She cleared her throat and approached the others. "Ladies. If you will all follow me, there's someplace that all of you will want to go."

"No more celebrations or games, please," Amara said bitterly. "I'm just not in the mood anymore." Just after saying this, the shuttle lent to Trista fired its engines and began to lift off into the sky.

"This is no game. And it happens to be important," Prism said patiently. "It's time all of you knew just why Trista and Galaxia are at odds with one another. Galaxia herself is going to tell you."


	21. Sailor Earth's Sacrifice

CHAPTER TWENTY: SAILOR EARTH'S SACRIFICE!

Sailor Farion wasted no time in launching the battle for control of the Earth. Spurred on by her own humiliation at letting a mortal harm her body, as well as by her leader, Sailor Andromeda's, threat upon her life to defeat the defending Senshi, Farion had little inclination to refuse to do her best.

Sailor Earth volunteered herself to defeat Farion in battle. The others didn't argue with her decision, though Sailor Solara was obviously anxious to begin herself. Robert Prower stepped back with them reluctantly.

Farion charged in and began throwing punches and kicks at Diana. The combinations were swift and very intricate. If nothing else, Farion was no amateur. But Sailor Earth dodged every strike intended for her. Like a ballerina, Earth spun, ducked, and brushed aside each punch and kick with all the grace of a swan. She also moved in a wide circle, constantly backing away from her opponent to keep space between them, but not allowing the fight to spill outside of the designated combat zone.

Watching Diana fight brought back memories for Rob. Sailor Earth was always the most professional fighter amongst all the old Senshi of the Sol System. She learned from the ancient masters the art of combat, preferring to rely on her natural strength more than her Senshi powers. There was an understanding among Diana's peers that no one within a thousand light years was more formidable in hand-to-hand combat than she. What made Robert stand in awe as Diana fought Farion was the realization that in the intervening years it appeared she had gotten _better_!

No matter what Farion did, she could not land a solid blow on Earth. Diana continued to dodge and block with apparent ease. Finally, Farion lost her temper and threw a punch that overextended her balance. Diana saw the opening immediately and gripped Farion's wrist tightly. Before her foe could even process what had happened, Sailor Earth followed through with a massive kick to the face that sent the evil Senshi sailing backwards.

Diana leaped skyward and aimed a flying kick at the prone Sailor Farion. Farion brought her arms up crossways to block the worst of it, but the strike still plowed her into the pavement hard enough to gouge a small trench in it!

"_Yeah_!" Everyone watching celebrated. Everyone except Sailor Andromeda, who looked suitably disgusted at the turn of events, and Robert, who was awestruck by his own teammate's fighting power. Against Lady Seto, Diana hadn't had the chance to fight in this manner, and so Rob never realized just how much better she'd really gotten.

He turned to his Sister, Sailor Solara. "I remember she used to be very good," he said to Andrea. "But she _never _used to make fighting fellow Senshi look so effortless! How did she get so much better?"

"Do you really think we spent the last thousand years on Kinmoku playing tiddlywinks and studying the universe?" asked Andrea. "On the far side of the galaxy, the competition kicks up a notch. Plus, Diana met a far better martial artist than even herself. That person taught Diana more than she could ever have learned on Earth."

"Who was her teacher? Galaxia?" Rob asked, turning back to watch the remainder of the fight.

"No, Sailor Rainbow Prism."

Robert almost allowed his bottom jaw to hit the ground on that one! _Sailor Rainbow Prism?! That same impish little elf that took Amy away was Diana's kung fu instructor?!_ he thought.

Sailor Farion stood up and charged again. To her credit she looked to be barely fazed by the blows she took, and so she resumed trying to land a combo on Sailor Earth. Trying turned out to be the operative word here, for Diana just as easily continued to sidestep most of the assault and block the rest. A minute later saw just about the same result. This time Diana pinned both of Farion's arms to her side and drove her right knee into her solar plexus.

Farion choked out a winded gasp. She was too stunned to even throw up a marginal defense against Diana's follow-up strikes: a series of kicks to the head with her left leg swinging back and forth at the knee. After about half a dozen smaller blows, Diana let her left foot reach the ground, used that same foot to pivot her weight, and swung her hips around. With her hips came her right leg in a sweeping upper arc that literally _plastered_ Farion across the side of the head and sent her spinning and flipping through the air until she landed head first through the windshield of some unlucky bystander's parked minivan!

"Finish her, Diana!" Andrea barked.

Diana did not. She merely stood there and allowed Farion to bust her way out of the unfortunate vehicle.

"Uh oh," Rob murmured.

"She's too gentle at heart. That about her hasn't changed," Jed commented. "She believes she can sway her with words."

Sure enough, Diana began to entreat her enemy to change her ways. "I know that you have been persuaded in some way to betray your post and follow this Cold Star. But though you may be under a truly formidable hypnotic persuasion, I would like to give you the chance to surrender and repent for what you have done."

"That's not going to work. I've seen hypnotic suggestion from the best of them, and Farion is more than just brainwashed," said Jed frankly.

"I remember Queen Beryl buried my memories under darkness and then rewired my mind," said Darien. "You're saying this is worse?"

"It may in fact be similar, Darien. I wasn't around to see how you reacted to Beryl's mind wipe, but I've tasted the Beryl treatment myself," explained Jed. "A process such as that requires a tremendous amount of dark energy, and a willpower every bit as tenacious as the controller himself. Otherwise Beryl would have tried it on every Senshi who crossed her in battle. The fact that she had to pick and choose her mind slaves indicates just how difficult this is. If this Cold Star person is truly creating an army of Senshi, one possibly numbering in the hundreds or thousands, then we're talking about an entity vastly more powerful than the entirety of the Negaforce. A being with such towering hypnotic capacity would quite literally erase not just memories, but the very essence that the original soul was made of. Something quite possibly your beloved Serena would not be able to fight off."

"So you're insinuating that Cold Star's minions aren't just following orders, they're enjoying the ride?" asked Sailor Stratus.

"No, that's what _Beryl's _minions did," said Jed. "I'm insinuating that Cold Star's minions have been reborn anew. A complete apocalypse of the soul, and a rewrite as final as death itself. In other words, there is zero likelihood of ever bringing back the original personality short of killing Cold Star himself."

"You hear that, Diana?! You won't be able to talk her back! _Finish her_!!" Andrea rejoined.

Diana turned as if to argue with Andrea, but Sailor Farion waited for just such a distraction and attacked her blind side. Sailor Earth reacted, but not in time. Farion's punch landed squarely on her right cheek, the force causing Diana's legs to buckle. Sailor Farion pressed the advantage and began wailing lefts and right on her opponent's torso and skull, the final strike coming as Farion wrapped her arms around Diana's belly, lifted her up, and literally pile-drove her head first into the street! The impact blew out nearby store windows and shook the ground!

Robert winced. What an attack!

"Do what she could not, Sailor Farion," Sailor Andromeda spoke up. "Kill her and get ready for your next fight."

"As you wish," Farion picked up Diana's limp form by the neck and prepared a finishing punch, her left fist glowing with Senshi power. Diana appeared to be completely unconscious. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Diana…!" Robert gasped, reaching for his pistol.

Andrea stopped him with a firm grasp of his wrist. "Hold your fire, cowboy. I'm taking this rescue."

There was no need to make a move, however. Just as Farion drew her fist all the way back for the killing blow, Diana came awake and gripped her foe's choking arm with both hands. At the same time she swung both her legs up and wrapped them around Farion's shoulder. With a great heave, Farion was lifted off her feet and slammed belly first to the ground while Sailor Earth reversed into a sidelong position. Farion was now trapped in a submission hold in which her arm threatened to be snapped the wrong way in fairly short order. The evil Senshi choked out a yelp of pain and gritted her teeth.

"Heheh," Andrea snickered. "And to think you were worried about her."

Robert speared his sibling with a withering glare. "Oh, like _you _were the picture of relaxation and confidence just now," he spat sarcastically.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the rare, but effective, 'double-legged wishbone armlock' submission hold!" Alora shouted into a fake microphone like a pro-wrestling commentator. "What'll the champ think of next, folks? Could we have a tap-out imminent? Or is the challenger's skeletal system about to be rearranged?"

"There's no escaping this hold," Diana said to Sailor Farion. "Surrender and promise to leave this world and I will release you. Continue to resist and your arm will be the first of your bones that I break."

Sailor Farion grunted and a purple aura began to envelope her entire body. "You stupid fool. I admit you're a much better fighter than I am, but get a taste of my powers and you'll be sorry you turned down our offer to join us."

Purple flames suddenly burst to life all over Farion's body, causing Diana to let go and roll away to avoid getting burned. Farion climbed back to her feet, favoring her right arm, but still grinning wickedly. The flames on her body came alive and erupted to ten times their size in height and diameter. The tremendous heat was immediately palpable as the air began to ripple, and a wind kicked up the dust and small particles that lay around as a result of the fight so far. This caused everyone watching to back up a step and throw an arm up to shield their eyes.

Robert put his goggles down, not only to protect his eyes from flying glass and stones, but also to see this girl's power. The computer immediately warned of the intense heat and something else.

"Radiation!" Robert exclaimed quietly.

"What are you mumbling about?" Andrea asked him.

"Ultra-violet radiation! It surrounds Sailor Farion like a sun's corona," Rob elaborated. "And its levels are rising rapidly at ground zero!"

Sailor Earth felt the heat, but was not aware of the radiation in the air. Before anyone could stop her, she jumped into the air and fired her own blast wave of energy down to the ground at Farion's feet. Immediately the ground quaked and heaved as if by tectonic upheaval. Sailor Farion was thrown off balance and she stumbled backwards to regain her footing.

"Seismic Shock!" Diana called out. Again the earth shook hard. The pavement, already damaged from the fight, began to liquefy and sinkhole downward.

Farion was sucked into the hole. Luckily there was no subway tunnel underneath this particular street. When Diana landed again, Sailor Farion was buried up to her waist in rubble.

"Vines of Gaia! Ensnare her!" Sailor Earth put her hands together and her aura glowed green as gigantic vines again sprouted through the asphalt and tangled themselves around Farion. Exerting inhuman amounts of pressure, they engulfed Farion's body and began to squeeze like a group of pythons.

Farion's voice mumbled something from within that tangled mess that sounded like: "Microwave Burst!"

All of a sudden Diana's vines spontaneously combusted as purple fire again appeared and burned the sinewy plants to a brown crisp. Farion blew herself out of the withered strands and aimed a column of fire in Sailor Earth's direction. Diana barely got a counter-blast of earth power up in time to neutralize the blaze. The two Senshi now stood about twenty feet apart, dueling with their respective energies to gain the upper hand.

"Whew! Suddenly it's like ninety degrees out here," Alora remarked, fanning herself with her hand.

"Andrea," said Robert gravely. "This fight better end soon. Sailor Farion is generating almost 200 Kelvin Units of Ultraviolet Radiation. It's mixed in with her flames. Diana is standing in _lethal doses_ of radiation right now!"

Andrea and the others looked at Sailor Earth, who looked to be starting to show some signs of strain. Sweat was breaking out on her forehead. Her skin was beginning to grow pale, and the plants that grew around her arms and legs were beginning to droop and look sickly.

"Farion doesn't have to touch Diana with her fire," Jed realized. "Just being near her is poisonous to her system."

"Diana, disengage! You're going to get cooked out there! You've got no immunity to radiation!" Andrea shouted onto the battle field.

Sailor Earth could not disengage. If she let up her powers for even a little bit, the flames of Farion really _would_ cook her alive.

"That's it, I'm stepping in for real this time!" Rob drew his pistol and aimed it at Sailor Farion. "Enough of this fair play crap! We have to dispatch these girls and warn Sailor Moon on Kinmoku!"

"I agree," Darien drew his cane out. "I'll go after the leader."

"Wait! Look! Diana… she's smiling!" Alora pointed.

Sure enough, Sailor Earth _was_ smiling. Not a smile of confidence or victory, but a slightly sad smile. A smile of resignation. Before anyone could register a thought, much less an action, Diana closed her eyes and mouthed something that no one else could have heard. It looked like a prayer from far away. But suddenly, Sailor Earth's energy seemed to triple in intensity and pushed Farion's dark fire backwards toward its owner.

"What?! Impossib--!" Didn't even get to finish her line as both energies blazed back over her, engulfing her form in purple and green light! Everything behind Farion was caught up in the blaze as well for nearly a hundred yards in a widening path! A brief scream punctuated the enormous outpouring of power before it was silenced. Just as quickly the energy dissipated, as did the radiation, much to Rob's relief. Any more of a rise and everyone within five blocks of the fight would have started getting sick also.

When the smoke and steam cleared away, Sailor Farion stood in place with her arms still outstretched. Her fuku was mostly burned away, and her exposed skin was burnt to a crisp. Her hair was almost all gone as well. She shouldn't even have been alive after a blast like that, but she clung to life anyway, moaning in agony and disbelief. Farion fell to her knees, almost senseless from the shock.

Opposite where Farion had stood, Diana sank to her knees. She was apparently undamaged, but still very pale and wan.

"_Diiii_!!" Alora screamed. Robert sprinted out to Sailor Earth as fast as he could and caught her in his arms just as the rest of her body slumped toward the ground.

"I don't believe it! She attempted the Trinity Attack all by herself," Andrea explained.

"The 'Trinity Attack'?" Darien asked, also kneeling to check on his Sister.

"It's a finishing move we normally do together, but any one of us could pull it off on our own," Sailor Stratus replied sadly. "But it takes almost everything we have because it triples our energy output, draining our bodies of almost every ounce of power, including life force. We do it together so that the drain isn't so bad."

"_Dammit, Diana_, we promised each other none of us would _ever _do it alone!!" Sailor Solara yelled down at her teammate with tears in her eyes.

Sailor Earth was in bad condition. Her skin was pale, in a way Rob had never seen before. When he took his hand away from her head, some of her brown hair came out between his fingers and drifted away in the wind. The hair felt brittle at the ends. Devoid of moisture.

"There was no time… to discuss it," Diana rasped. "I could feel the… radiation… literally cooking me… on the inside… It was the only wayyyy…" Diana passed out.

"_Nooooo_!" Darien reached down impulsively and grabbed her, holding her close to his chest with both arms. "You just came back to me! I only just met you! _It's not fair_!!" Tears began to pour from his eyes.

"She's not dead. But she's damn close," Robert reported, scanning her body with his goggles. "Less than 2 of her body energy is lingering. Just enough to run her basic life functions." At the sound of his own grim diagnosis, Rob felt his own heart begin to sink.

"She could slip into a coma at any moment," Jed added. "We need to get her to a hospital before she slides any further." The detective pulled out his radio and began calling for the ambulance the police had brought with them to the scene.

Meanwhile, Sailor Farion staggered back on all fours to Sailor Andromeda. "Leader… I would have… killed them all… If I had only known… of that attack," she protested. "Please… heal me and let… me try again…"

Andromeda's lip curled with disdain. "Pathetic. You are a shallow-minded fool who toyed with her foe rather than finish her quickly. I would show you how to do it right, but Cold Star explicitly instructed that failure is punishable by death. Didn't you get the memo?"

The sound of wind sucking in accompanied the sudden appearance of a baseball-sized black hole right underneath Farion's midsection.

"No! W-wait! Please-- WAAAAAHHHH!!" Farion screeched as her body was literally turned inside out and compressed down into fleshy pulp as it got sucked into the black hole. A sickening sloppy noise went with her horrifying scream, like the sound of meat passing through a grinder! And once the last little trace of Farion was sucked inside, the hole vanished into thin air.

Andromeda's enemies just sat or stood there, drawn to the scene by Farion's inhuman scream. Every one of them was frozen in shock and horror.

"Oh God! Andrea… Darien… That hole she generated may have been tiny, but its energy output could have powered this whole city for a week!" Robert whispered.

"Do me a favor, bro, and keep that kind of information to yourself," Andrea retorted shakily.

"Darien. You go to the hospital with Diana," Jed squatted down and put a hand on Tuxedo Mask's shoulder. "She'll need somebody with her. The rest of us have this handled."

"Senshi of Earth," declared Andromeda. "It appears you have passed the first test of survival. But you will not pass the one that I have prepared for you."

The paramedics helped Darien lift Sailor Earth's prone body onto the stretcher. Tuxedo Mask hesitated as they began taking her away.

"Darien!" Andrea turned to him sharply. "If it should come to it… Our ship is resting at the bottom of the bay, under cloak." She grasped his hand and pressed a small device into it that looked like a remote car starter. "If we fall… use this to call the ship and get you and Diana aboard. Fly as fast as you can for Kinmoku and don't look back."

Darien hesitated briefly. "What about the Earth?"

"Andromeda already said she doesn't care enough about this world to destroy it. She'll leave as soon as she's done with us. And even if she lied about that, there's nothing you by yourself would be able to do if the three of us couldn't. Earth's only salvation is Sailor Moon," Alora jumped in. "Go now. They're leaving."

Darien jumped aboard the ambulance and spared one last look back as the doors were slammed shut and the medical vehicle peeled away as fast as possible.

Robert had spent the entire time trying to analyze the depths of Andromeda's powers, but though her attacks were powerful, she apparently kept her overall power at a low level, barely readable. If he were ignorant, he would probably assume she was weak, even for a Senshi. Fortunately he was no ignoramus.

"I suppose there's no putting it off," Rob said hesitantly. "Shall all three of us go together?"

"Whatever we decide, there's no way you're talking me out of going first," Andrea gritted angrily. Her fists were clenched hard enough to make the leather of her gloves squeak.

"Guys, before you go…" Jed whispered into their ears. "You saw what those black holes did to our bullets earlier. Don't use up all your energy blasting her from a long distance. Find another strategy or she'll simply suck up all your attacks and wait you out."

"She must have a limit. Otherwise she would have just sucked this whole planet into one giant black hole and be done with it," said Alora.

"That doesn't mean anything. Perhaps she's just playing with us too," Andrea disagreed. "I can't feel her power, but I've got this overwhelmingly creepy sensation radiating from her. I'm not sure how much, but she's holding back an amazing amount of power. She's got almost as much presence as Galaxia herself."

Robert nodded, cocking his pistol. "Insurmountable obstacle. Almost no chance of survival or success… Sound familiar ladies?"

Andrea's smile was bitter this time. The last time they'd gone up against such steep odds didn't turn out so well, and back then they had a healthy Sailor Earth at their side.

"Yeah, yeah… deja frikkin' vu…" she muttered.

ssssssssssss

NEXT CHAPTER: All of Sailor Pluto's friends want to know why Trista despises Kinmokians, and Galaxia in particular, so much. But other events are quickly intruding themselves on the galaxy, events that will signal the end of the Eon Celebration. Entire worlds are under attack by Cold Star and his Senshi Acolytes, and the pattern is quickly working its way toward Planet Kinmoku! Can the efforts of the Kamen delay the enemy until the Senshi are ready to strike back? Or have Galaxia and Sailor Moon turned a blind eye to the cosmos for just a moment too long?

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: THE TIGHTENING NOOSE


	22. The Tightening Noose

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: THE TIGHTENING NOOSE

"Fall back! Fall back to the Force Dome!" barked the voice of Colonel Rabuladol. "Second Division, cover the retreat until the enemy units have touched down!"

The heavy artillery of Second Division thumped rhythmically as giant beams of energy were fired into the air. Their targets were the scores of the space-suited Senshi that descended through the cloud layer. Coming down with them were several Serinzian Battle Machines, reprogrammed for destruction. They were formidable robots the size of star fighters and contained heavy amounts of firepower for bombarding surface defenses and aerial dog-fighting.

The anti-aerial guns surrounding Kardaf City Spaceport had been battered into submission, as had the local force field generator. Defending this place was no longer tactically feasible, so falling back behind the next closest stronghold, the Force Dome protecting the city at large, was the only other option to dying uselessly. The spaceport had been lost. The enemy was now going to have a foothold on Kardaffu's surface, making the plausibility of a quick end to this conflict the stuff of dreams.

The artillery being fired skyward was meant for ground fighting and not terribly accurate against the descending Senshi and their battle machines. Most of the warheads and plasma exploded harmlessly in midair. To make matters worse, once they were in range, the Senshi began fighting back. The Bat-Mechs began their energy bombardment, while Senshi magic also rained down from above. Ice, electricity, balls of light, arcs of spirit power, and even meteors decimated the unfortunate Second Division.

Within moments, Second Division was reduced to piles of corpses and shattered machinery. They had martyred themselves so that the majority of the ground defenses could fall back safely. The Acolytes of Cold Star set down on the ground and began securing the spaceport for more arrivals.

Colonel Rabuladol lowered his binoculars with fangs clenched together in anger. His forces were taking up fortified positions just behind the invisible Force Dome walls and digging in for the ground assault. The Colonel vowed that Second Division's demise would not go unavenged.

"Sir! Defensive Control requires an update," the Colonel's aide informed him.

Rabuladol activated his handheld communicator.

sssss

"I regret to report that the enemy has finally achieved groundfall," The holographic ghost of Rabuladol stood upon a pedestal in the corner of the Defensive Control Center. Listening to the report were a collection of high ranking military leaders from Kardaffu and two Sailor Senshi. Unbeknownst to most of the people in the room, Sailor Polaris had her own communicator on 'record'.

"There's no doubt the majority of the invaders are Senshi," Rabuladol continued. "We outnumber them nearly seven to one still, but their powers are staggering! The battle field, which has been level all day, is beginning to tilt in their favor. Now that they are on the ground, they can proceed towards our cities and fortresses and penetrate our shields. My divisions are forming a defensive ring around the capital city even as we speak. I give the enemy another hour, maybe less, before the primary assault begins. I have no update from Admiral Pudou of the space forces. I fear the worst."

Sailor Farakeen ran up behind Polaris and whispered into her ear. "I've got everything I could possibly gather on these two disks," she said quietly, holding up two translucent, two inch diameter compacts. "The space battle is almost completely in favor of the enemy. Only one pocket of resistance remains. If we are to leave, we have to do so now, using that pocket as our cover."

"Understood. Tell Sailor Aion to warm up the _Compass Rose_," said Polaris. "I'm going down to see the King and Sailor Kardaffu one more time."

With everyone still engrossed in the Colonel's morose report, virtually no one noticed the Senshi slip through the crowd and out of the room.

The King was not in the throne room. He had requested to watch the battle unfold from the cupola atop his royal palace. It was irritating to Polaris that she had to waste more precious time searching him out. When she finally found the King peering through his telescope at the banister, she nearly lashed out with her powers and crushed it, but such a gesture would be as rude as it was petty. And it wouldn't help cool anyone's strained tempers right now.

"Your majesty," Polaris cut straight to the chase. "We have gathered all of your people's data. I must thank you for your cooperation, but it's time for us to leave. I promise you we shall return as rapidly as possible with plenty of Senshi reinforcements."

The King straightened up and cast his mournful brown eyes toward Polaris. "Thus shall it be," he growled. "All our hopes ride upon you. If I do not get the opportunity to meet you again, I want to thank you in advance for your efforts."

"Your thanks is not necessary… Where is Sailor Kardaffu?" Polaris asked, looking around but not finding her friend.

"A needless question. Surely you don't think she'd waste her time up here with an old dog like myself when she could be fighting with her fellow natives on the front lines to keep the enemy pinned back," King Fenrir shuffled over to the other side of the cupola and began peering out again. "Curse my bones for not being more prepared for such a treacherous assault. These peaceful times have made puppies of us all."

Sailor Polaris felt the need to try and comfort the bitter King of Kardaffu, but no words came to mind. She could only pity his situation and what he must be feeling at this moment. With his world on the brink of collapse. Just as she did finally think of the words to say, her communicator interrupted her thoughts.

It was Sailor Aion's voice. "Polaris, I hate to tell you this, but the situation has become worse than ever. The Kardaffian Fleet has broken up and is in the process of being routed as we speak. There's no way we could get through that mess up there without being shot down anymore. I'm afraid we're stuck here with the same fates as these people."

Polaris felt nothing. She could only nod numbly. For whatever reason that gravest of news refused to sink in. "Very well," she replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Then we have a duty to help in the next best fashion. Power down the shuttle and report to the battlefield. It is now our responsibility to fight to the death for these people's fates. Galaxia would demand nothing less."

"Roger," came the reply after a brief pause. The line was cut off, and Polaris lowered her communicator to gaze at the King.

"It would seem our fates have been tied to yours, your majesty. I go now to join Sailor Kardaffu. So long as I breathe, the enemy will get no closer to you," she announced.

She did not hear it over the sounds of artillery and explosions, but as Polaris descended the staircase down toward the courtyard, King Fenrir tipped his snout toward the darkening sky and began to howl mournfully. Not just for his people, but for these noble creatures called Senshi.

"Has there been no word at all?" Galaxia was talking to Sailor Selenium when the Earth Senshi walked into her briefing room with Sailor Rainbow Prism in the lead.

"None for many hours, Senshi Prime," Selenium's eyes darted quickly toward the Sailor Scouts before going back to her leader. "It is not like Sailor Polaris to remain incommunicado for so long. Something has gone terribly wrong on Kardaffu."

"Indeed," Galaxia noticed the others in the room and waved Selenium away. "Go and get another task force ready. This time I want the Nova Senshi assembled."

"As you wish," Selenium bowed at the waist, then turned and wheeled out of the room.

"What's gone terribly wrong?" asked Serena, taking a step forward. "Can we help you with anything?"

Galaxia forced a smile at her. "I could say 'it's nothing', but that would be a lie, and a blatant one at that," she said. "But you need not concern yourself over this. This situation is still largely unknown, but it's nothing Kinmoku cannot handle."

Serena looked doubtful, but before she could speak further on the matter, Galaxia changed the subject. "I know why you have come. We tracked Sailor Pluto's shuttle leaving our atmosphere. It's a pity you could not convince her to stay, but understandable. She and I have our own history together. You are here to find out why Kinmoku pains her so much."

"Well that certainly saves us the trouble of asking," Amara folded her arms. "So let's hear this. I suppose this is somehow all Trista's fault?"

"We both did things back then that were… mistakes," Galaxia conceded.

"Back then?" Birdie prompted. "Back when?"

"Before you, or anyone else that lives today was born," explained Galaxia. "It was nearly 50,000 years ago, when the Senshi race was truly united. It was the event that led to the birth of the Moon Kingdom."

"Oh wow!" Lita exclaimed. "You mean we're finally going to learn how all this started?"

Galaxia nodded sadly. "All of it. You deserve to know for the sake of your friend. The good…" she looked gravely at Serena, "… and the bad."

Sailor Pluto was still waiting on Kinmoku's orbital space station for a ride back to Earth, but it appeared that she had left Kinmoku at a less than appealing time. The station was abuzz with all kinds of hurried and anxious conversation. Senshi were darting back and forth as if in a hurry, whispering of some nameless threat. All non-military space traffic was being frozen for the time being.

"All hands attached to the Battleship: _Inoumaru_, this is your last call to assemble at Docking Pylon 23," said the public address voice. "Your ship has been mobilized, please make ready to depart in T-minus thirty minutes. This is not a drill."

That was the third such call for departure for a Senshi warship in the last hour. Sailor Pluto began to wonder, despite herself, just what was going on. She wrestled with the urge to query about it, fearing that she might be somehow drawn inexorably into another Kinmokian conflict, and that was the absolute _last_ thing she wanted to happen.

And yet when she walked by a telemonitor in one of the lounge areas, around which a host of Senshi were standing with rather serious looks in their eyes, she finally gave in to her curiosity and drifted within earshot of the Galactic Netcast.

"Five worlds are now disconnected from the rest of the Galaxy by virtually every means imaginable," the news anchor, a Vorryan from the looks of her, reported from behind a desk set against a computerized graphic of a planet behind her. "The latest now is Kamenia, home world of the Kamen race. There are still no reports of the rash of blackouts occurring throughout the galaxy, but concern is beginning to spread to worlds still unaffected about the strange phenomenon. Some are beginning to theorize that another Netvirus, like the infamous '_Hyperlink Bug_' of '443, is responsible, though no presence of such a virus has yet been detected at GalNet Central. The Senshi representative at GNN has offered no comment just yet on Kinmoku's reaction to all this, but assures everyone that steps are being undertaken to determine the cause of this startling trend."

"Even the media doesn't want to say it," a nearby Senshi said loudly. "Only an _invasion _could jam all comm and ship traffic simultaneously."

"There's nothing they can really say," said another. "No one knows who or what is attacking, nor if there's even been any casualties. They have no details to give, so they know that such an announcement could only spread chaos and panic."

"The galaxy teeters on the brink of panic regardless," a third snorted.

Sailor Pluto took all this in without injecting her own opinion and quietly backed out of the group. So _that's _what was going on. The Senshi fleet was deploying to get to the bottom of this mystery, and the buzzword was 'invasion'? But it would take a being of enormous power and resources to conquer an entire galaxy.

Of course there would be an easy enough way to figure things out… If only she was still the Guardian of Time.

_Wait. What am I thinking?_ Trista snapped out of her curiosity. _This is not my problem. There are more than enough Senshi here combined to conquer a galaxy themselves. It's time for me to leave. I have no intention of getting sucked into another bloody war!_

Yet even as she turned to go demand passage back to Earth one more time, she paused again in mid-stride as a horrible thought struck her.

What if Serena found out about this?!

The young Senshi who called herself Serena Tsukino since before she could remember, simply sat there as Sailor Galaxia laid everything all out before her and her friends. The detailed story took nearly forty minutes to tell from beginning to end. Serena learned of her earliest ancestors. She learned of Sailor Serenity and her nine guardians who helped her rise to power. She learned of Serenity's misguided ambition, and how ultimately she fell from grace. How the first real civil war between Senshi in over a million years was the result. The deaths of millions across the galaxy. Galaxia's own role in the sordid affair. How the ten Senshi who were banished from Kinmoku went on to settle on Earth and the Moon. How they populated the Solar System and bred Humans to become truly intelligent beings.

During the unbelievable story, Serena kept glancing around at the rapt faces of her friends. Most of them simply sat there with looks of numb shock. Amara looked as skeptical as she did troubled. Michelle leaned against her, biting her lip. Hotaru was just completely mesmerized by the tale as if like a child hearing an epic legend being read to her.

At no point during the recounting did Amy look at all surprised by the telling of it all. And when Serena made eye contact with her briefly towards the end, Amy only nodded slowly. That was all Serena needed to convince her that all this was genuine.

When Galaxia finally fell silent, she leaned back in her seat with her hands folded across her right knee, which was crossed over the left leg. She did not look at any of them. Her purple eyes were cast on the floor. Her expression was at once regretful, yet resolute. As much as she hated doing it, Serena had no doubt Galaxia would have done the same thing again if given another opportunity.

What truly amazed Serena more than anything was the fact that she had listened to the whole story. Her attention span was never her strongest ability, in fact it was always one of her worst traits. Yet when it came to her Senshi past everything just made so much more sense to her. Serena was surprised she hadn't lost focus or fallen asleep this entire time. But then again maybe it wasn't so shocking. Of all the revelations and epiphanies she had experienced in her ten years of fighting evil, this was by far the hugest.

"I can't believe it," Amara shook her head. "I can't believe the Moon Kingdom started out in such an ugly fashion. You can't ask me to accept this."

"She's telling the truth, Amara," Amy defended her. "It's in their history books. I read a few of them the other day at the library."

"_Their_ history books!" Amara flared up. "How can you believe anything of this?! Can you honestly think even for a second that our ancestors were so… so…"

"Rash? It's been four or five Senshi generations since the time of Serenity, Amara," Amy said patiently. "We're so far removed from them that we actually don't know how they thought or acted in those days. But Galaxia lived through that time. So did Sailor Pluto."

"In a way I can kind of see Sailor Serenity's viewpoint," Lita spoke up. "We _do_ have a responsibility to protect those who can't defend themselves. It was just a good idea taken much too far."

Katsie stirred from her own reverie. "You know… Raye once told me something she read from an old Shinto proverb. She said 'the path of good is as thin as the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and man plunges himself into evil, often without knowing it. And many times does evil _appear _to be good when in fact it is not'."

"I can't believe that an ancestor of the great Queen Serenity would be that misguided!" Amara insisted. "Serena, tell them!"

Serena couldn't think of anything to say to her. She opened her mouth a few times, but closed it just as quickly. What was there to say, really?

"All people, no matter how great, make mistakes," said Amy. "Just look at the mistakes I made that led to Dark Mercury. Look at the mistakes that caused Jed to become Jedite. When you put it in that context, it's not so unbelievable. Like Katsie just said. The road to evil is paved with good intentions."

_Thank you, Amy_, Serena thought. _I wish I could say something as beautifully as you and the others can._

"Serena, I have something to show you," Galaxia said suddenly after quietly listening to them debate. "It may help to soothe the turmoil I know you must feel. I cannot prove to you that I am truthful without Sailor Pluto here. But perhaps I can bring you some comfort by showing you the face of your great grandmother."

At those words, everyone stopped arguing and focused again on the golden Senshi. Galaxia walked over to a curtained wall and pulled the cord. The velvet folds slid aside, revealing a giant portrait of a beautiful woman. She wore only one 'odango' knot at the back of her head, and the strands of hair hanging from her sideburns fell across her shoulders in miniature curls. Her hair itself was bright, bright red, and her eyes equally as crimson, but there was no mistaking the family resemblance. She had the same gentle, soft features as Queen Serenity had. A face only marginally different from Serena's. Her smile could have illuminated the blackest of hearts.

"This is Sailor Serenity," said Galaxia, "The way that _I _prefer to recall her."

Serena stood up shakily and approached the painting. Serenity seemed to look straight at her. Right into her heart and soul. Even though it was a painting, that smile was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Serena walked up to the portrait and leaned up on her toes to touch it with her fingers. She didn't know exactly why, but the painting moved her almost to tears.

"Despite what happened between us, I never forgot the lessons she taught me when I was young," Galaxia elaborated. "She was more than my teacher. I loved her as a big sister. It tore me apart to oppose her, but if she could have seen what she had become, she would have hated herself. I fought her with the principles she once instilled in me."

"What changed her?" asked Michelle. "How could a woman with such gentle eyes fall prey to such single-minded lust for power?"

"I suspect that it was because Serenity was _too_ gentle," Galaxia surmised. "She saw much in her long life. She mourned for all the civilizations she watched rise and fall to the tides of evil. She fought for thousands of years against horrors even I can only imagine. She always believed she could save the universe from evil completely. I suspect that, in the end, she realized her ideals were impossible to attain. The frustration and despair such a revelation would have inflicted on her heart would have been just the thing to drive her to such extremes. Ultimately she decided that if she could not _guide _the universe to light… that it was up to her to _force_ the light upon the universe. And that… is where she fell. I was not there when she changed for the worst. Perhaps if I was, I could have turned her back at the critical moment and saved her."

"Why are we all crying over spilled milk?" asked Mina abruptly. When everyone looked at her, she added: "Look, it was terrible what happened, but come on guys. Some good did come from it, right? I mean… _we're_ here, aren't we?"

"Precisely," Sailor Rainbow Prism chipped in. "Without Serenity's drastic measures, she never would have been banished, and the Moon Kingdom would have never been born. None of you now would exist."

"What happened, happened, and it could not have happened any other way," agreed Amy.

"Poor Trista," Serena muttered sadly. "She fell in love with Serenity in her own way. And before she knew what she was doing she was swept up in her feelings of loyalty. The whole time she was unaware she was damaging her own future."

"Sailor Pluto hates me because deep down she drowns in her own guilt, knowing that she came extraordinarily close to tearing apart the Time Stream and perpetrating the greatest crime a Time Guardian can commit," said Galaxia. "As much as she claims to hate Kinmokians, she hates _herself _even more."

"Dammit, if we'd only known!" Amara blustered. "Why couldn't she tell any of us? Why does she always have to keep secrets like this and shut us all out?"

"Everyone has things they can't tell anyone," a new voice interjected. "Secrets that they know will cause pain to themselves if others knew. Sailor Pluto bears one of the greatest burdens of all."

Everyone turned as one to look at the shadowy figure that seemingly had melted from the shadows. Most surprised of all was Katsie, who thought for sure that she should have sensed this other person in the room long before anyone else had.

The woman was dressed in a Senshi fuku, but the design was more suitably described as a Samurai garb. She had an extraordinarily long katana sheathed at her back. But her most unusual and intriguing feature was the fact that her eyes were shrouded beneath a white bandana blindfold. Her black hair seemed to float around her like living silk, making her already pale skin seem paler still.

"Well this is most unexpected," Sailor Galaxia understated the shock and wonder everyone else felt at this Senshi's appearance. "_Sailor Libra_. I haven't seen you in almost an entire eon."

"I have been traveling quite a lot these last few millennia," Libra smirked. "I can never stay in just one spot. It's in my nature to keep moving. To wander where the solar winds may blow me. But… Something evil this way comes. This thing has brought me back to you, a threat on a par with Chaos himself."

"You weren't in this room just a minute ago. How did you enter without a sound, and without my sensing your presence?" Katsie blurted out.

Libra turned her head to face Katsie directly as if to stare at her through that mysterious blindfold. Serena found herself wondering if she was truly blind. Perhaps she had some alternate way of seeing things?

"Passing through shadows is but one of my many talents, as is hiding my 'chi'," Libra told her. She turned to face Galaxia once more. "Sorry to sneak in as I did, but I didn't have time to go through security the polite way. This may have been a sensitive conversation to all of you, but I'm afraid there is no more time to reminisce."

"What is this threat you spoke of? I assume it has something to do with the blackouts across the galaxy?" asked Galaxia.

"I am amazed you're still in the dark about that. You're not as sharp as you were in your younger days," Libra's words and tone were only half humorous. "It would interest you to know that the 'Black Star' has returned to this galaxy, and he is burning a rather wide swath on his way here."

"The Black Star?" Serena blinked.

Everyone, including Sailor Rainbow Prism looked to Galaxia for clarification. What they got was a troubled expression on a pallid face. Something about that statement truly frightened Galaxia. But before any elaboration could be made, another intrusion threw itself in on the conversation.

The doors leading out of the room slid aside, revealing an apologetic Senshi guard with two armored men at her back. The sight of actual men on Kinmoku elicited another round of surprised expressions and whispered words.

"I thought men weren't allowed here…" Mina cocked her head curiously.

NEXT CHAPTER… Pollux and Castor Kamen have made it to Kinmoku. They, and the mysterious Sailor Libra, reveal the rapidly escalating campaign around the five besieged worlds: Kardaffu, Kamenia, Serinzia, Patheon, and Aineias. It seems that Cold Star has returned to exact revenge upon Sailor Galaxia. Thousands of Senshi are mobilized to the five battlegrounds to take the war to the enemy, but Cold Star has Senshi of his own under his command, and some of them have strange powers indeed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: MOBILIZE! SENSHI OF KINMOKU UNITE!


End file.
